The Kali Effect
by Timesprite
Summary: Pre-S4 Daemon story (in progress)
1. Default Chapter

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

It had been a whole minute since the restart and life for the Mainframers was returning to normal. But life in Mainframe had always come with it's share of chaos.  
On this particular cycle, chaos had chosen Dot's kitchen as it's residence. The Command.Com coughed as smoke filled the room. She opened a window and fanned a dish cloth furiously in a futile attempt to clear the air. The smoke alarm wailed overhead. 

"Oh dear." Hexadecimal, the system's former virus, was perched on the end of the counter surveying the scene. "You seem to have made a slight miscalculation." 

"Tell me about it." AndrAIa rolled her eyes at Hex and shifted a hot cookie sheet from hand to hand before tossing it down on the counter and blowing on her burnt fingers. The charred remains of half a dozen chocolate chip cookies scattered across the countertop, a few rolling along on their sides before plummeting off the cabinet and onto the floor. AndrAIa eyed the black lumps with disdain and threw her hands up in defeat. "I give up!" she shouted, and plopped down unceremoniously into a kitchen chair. Dot, who had since ceased her fanning, managed a wry smile. 

"It's not _that_ bad." The trio watched as Frisket, who had been watching the commotion, walked over to one of the cookies, sniffed it hesitantly, whimpered and hid under the table. Dot cringed. "Okay, maybe it is," she admitted, "But you just need practice." 

"I burn toast," AndrAIa muttered sullenly. "About the only thing I can make is cold cereal." 

Dot rolled her eyes and began to clear away the failed attempt at baking. "What are you going to do when you have your own apartment?" 

"Pray that Enzo has half your culinary ability?" 

"Haha. Very funny. I'm serious, AndrAIa. Being able to play games is all well and good, but you're going to have to learn how to live in a system again." 

"Can I help it if it isn't part of my code? I've tried, Dot. I really have. I'm just no good at this stuff." 

Dot sighed and took a seat across from the younger woman. This was _supposed_ to have been a relaxing morning. It wasn't turning out that way.  
Bob had insisted she take the day off. She hadn't had a break since the restart, too busy going over the system with a fine toothed comb , recording all of the changes, fixing what needed to be fixed.   
So Dot found herself with a day off and nothing to do. 

She hated idle time with a passion. 

As AndrAIa was currently living with her and little Enzo, the game sprite had made a perfect target for her pent up energies. Besides, she reasoned, this was the perfect chance to bond with her brother's S.O.  
Truth be told she really did enjoy AndrAIa's company. She was remarkably intelligent. Dot had been surprised to find that AndrAIa knew almost as much about running operating systems as she herself did. A large part of her ability was no doubt due to her origins as an artificially intelligent game sprite. But, Dot found, when it came to the more mundane aspects of life, AndrAIa's abilities were somewhat lacking. Not that Dot blamed her. 

"It's okay. We'll try again with something easier." Dot paused to rub away the beginnings of a headache. Her objective of teaching AndrAIa basic cooking skills had been some what complicated by Hex's sudden appearance on the scene. For the most part, the former virus just sat on the counter, occasionally recommending some rather strange ingredients. Dot forcefully reminded herself to never eat any of Hex's baking. 

AndrAIa looked over Dot's flour coated kitchen and sighed. "Let's take a break, okay? It's a beautiful cycle out there. You should be outside, not trapped in here with me. Go find Bob. I know he scolds you for working too hard, but I think he could _probably_ use a break himself. I can take care of this mess." 

"I guess you're right." Dot sighed. She left the mess to AndrAIa and Hex and went outside. She knew Bob would be at the principal office, but she didn't head there. Truth be told, she'd been practically avoiding him since the restart. They had shared something then, when they didn't know if the end was coming or not. They'd crossed a line they hadn't dared cross before. There was no going back. She couldn't ease back into the comfortable friendship they'd shared- a lump formed in her throat when she thought of all that had happened since then. She loved him, crash it all! Why couldn't she show it? Instead she pushed him further and further away. 

---- 

What? I'm sorry, Phong. What were you saying? 

It was not important. You seem most distracted, my son, is something the matter? 

No Well, yes. 

Perhaps I can offer some guidance? 

I don't know. Maybe. It's Dot. She's been...distant since the restart and I don't know why. 

The old sprite pondered this. She has been through quite a lot, my child. Perhaps she needs time to adjust to the way things now are. 

It's been a whole minute, Phong! Bob banged his fist on the table, taking out his pent up frustration on the poor inanimate object. I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. I care about her. Why can't she see that? 

That, I think, is a question only she can answer. 

I should go talk to her. 

Indeed, Guardian. That is often the quickest way to the root of a problem. 

You're right. Thanks Phong, Bob flashed the elder sprite a lopsided grin. Now I just have to work up the courage. 

---- 

Matrix clomped into the diner, characteristic frown settled on his features. He knew Dot was supposed to be taking the day of, but was sure he'd find his sister there. Sure enough, she was sitting at the counter, working away at her organizer. He resisted the urge to rag on her and remembered his reason for coming here in the first place. 

Dot, we need to talk. 

Can you hold on a nano, Enzo? I'm in the middle of something. 

Matrix's scowl deepened. No, this can't wait. He said sternly and reached over to switch off her organizer. This has gone on too long already. 

Dot scowled as she watched a half a millisecond of work vanish. Well, you've got my attention. she snapped at her brother. What did you want to talk about? 

We need to do something about the current living arrangements, he said. 

What about them? I think they're fine. 

You would, he scoffed. 

Dot narrowed her eyes. What, exactly, is that _that_ supposed to mean, young man? 

You've been trying to keep AndrAIa and I apart since we got here! 

Having you live in separate houses is the only way I can get you to keep your hands off one another!! What sort of example do you think you're setting for Enzo? You want him to think it's okay to sit around groping in public!? 

I don't believe this! I don't friggin' believe this!! You honestly think I'm going to believe _that's_ your reason! Just because you and Bob- 

You leave Bob out of this, mister. This is about you and AndrAIa. Have you ever stopped to consider how your behavior makes AndrAIa look? Do you want everyone to think she's a tramp? 

Matrix's bionic eye began to glow red. If you weren't my sister... He said in a low voice, clenching his fist. I never want to hear you talk about AndrAIa in that context again. Are we clear? 

Is that a threat? 

Matrix spun on his heal and stomped out of the diner. 

---- 

AndrAIa heaved a frustrated sigh and sat down on the bed in her small room. Living apart from Enzo was really starting to grate on her nerves. At least Matrix was staying with Bob. Bob was easygoing, Bob would understand that she and Matrix weren't the little sprites everyone remembered.  
Dot would have driven him completely random trying to treat him like her 'little' brother format again. Not to mention the fact that he just wasn't ready to deal with a younger version of himself currently at large in the house. She sighed again and switched out the light, sliding into bed any trying to fall asleep.  
It was useless. The empty bed was keeping her awake. She hadn't slept alone for more than a cycle since she'd been 1.8. Besides, Matrix had seemed upset earlier, but had refused to talk to her about it. She got up and left the room.  
Dot was sitting at the kitchen table working on something in her organizer. She glanced up as she heard AndrAIa walk down the hallway. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To see Enzo," she replied. 

"At _this_ time of night? I'm sure he and Bob are sleeping. You can see him in the-" 

"It's not _that_ late," AndrAIa scowled, putting her hand on her hip. "And I won't be gone long." 

Dot sighed and put down the organizer. "Young lady-" 

"I am not a little sprite anymore, Dot! I'll be back later." She turned her back and left the house, hopping on a zip board and making her way to Kits sector. 

---- 

AndrAIa! Isn't it a little...late for you to be out? 

The game sprite rolled her eyes. Dot is driving me completely random. I needed to get away. Is Enzo awake? 

Bob ushered her into the room. 

I really hope I didn't wake you guys up. 

Don't worry about it. I know how Dot can get. 

You don't know the half of it. Matrix was sitting on Bob's couch and AndrAIa curled up next to him, leaning against his broad chest. Bob pulled a chair from in the kitchen and sat on it backwards, arm resting on the chair back. 

I take it she's been giving the two of you a hard time? 

Matrix frowned. "You could say that. I went to talk to her about changing the living arangments, and lets just say she wasn't very receptive." 

Bob sighed. "She's just looking out for you, Matrix." 

"Looking out for me? You weren't there, Bob. You didn't hear the things she said..." 

AndrAIa reached up ant touched the side of his face gently. "It's okay, lover." 

"No, no it's not." Matrix's frown deepened as he remembered Dot's words. "It's a good thing I didn't tell her we're married." 

It's a long story. AndrAIa laughed. 

"I think, in this instance, it's one worth hearing, Bob replied. 

Matrix sighed. All right. We'd been game hopping for hours, or at least we thought we had... Matrix and AndrAIa took turns relating all that had happened during their stay in Turing. Bob regarded them both with a pleasant smile as they concluded the story. 

I guess congratulations are in order. Why didn't you just tell Dot this? 

Are you kidding? She'd blow her motherboard. Besides, with Daemon still lurking around, I'd rather not make a big deal out of it. If someone hurt AndrAIa to try to get to me...I'd never be able to forgive myself." 

And you're okay with this arrangement? He asked AndrAIa. 

She shrugged. Sure. It's not really about the vows anyway. Enzo knows I'll always be there for him, for as long as he wants me around. 

I'll never leave you, he said, kissing her forehead. After all, someone's got to look after you. 

I can take care of myself, she replied indignantly. She sat up and stretched. I should be going. I told Dot I'd be back. 

Bob watched the young couple for a moment and smiled again. Tell you what. You two look like you could use some quality time together. I'll go over to Dot's. 

Are you sure Bob? I don't want to kick you out of your apartment. 

Don't worry about it." He flashed AndrAIa a lopsided grin. Dot'll let me sleep on the couch. And if not, well, I can always stay at the Principle Office. I've been meaning to have a talk with Dot for awhile now anyway. 

AndrAIa got up and gave Bob a quick hug. Thank you. 

You bet. You kids have fun! He laughed, and used the powers he'd gained from his merge with Glitch to teleport from the apartment. He reappeared not far from Dot's. The light was still on in the kitchen, which didn't surprise him. Dot always had been a workaholic. He knocked on the door softly. Little Enzo would be asleep this late in the cycle, and he didn't want to wake him. The door opened and Dot looked out at him, a slightly confused look on her face. 

Bob, what are you doing here? 

I was in the neighborhood, thought maybe we could talk? 

Well...I mean of course. Come on in. I just need to take care of something in the kitchen. Make yourself comfortable. She gestured towards the living room and went off into the kitchen. She returned a few nanos later with a large pot and two mugs. Java? It's decaf. 

That's okay. He waved away the offer and waited while she poured herself a cup. Dot sat down at the other end of the couch, legs tucked beneath her, cradling the mug in both hands. 

Okay, Bob. What did you want to talk about? 

You...us, really. Dot, is something bothering you? You've been avoiding me lately. 

Dot looked at him, then set her mug down on the table. I'm sorry. Things have changed so fast...I thought you'd been deleted, Bob. I guess I'm still shocked by everything that's taken place. She glanced up at him, but looked away again quickly. It was as if a stranger were sitting at the end of her sofa. Sure, he resembled Bob, sounded almost the same as she remembered, but she couldn't claim to really know who this sprite was. Bob saw the glance and frowned sadly, staring down at his hands clasped in his lap. 

It's me, isn't it? I've changed. 

Oh, Bob, no. That's not... He looked her in the eyes and her words died on her lips. His eyes hadn't changed a bit. When she looked into their depths, everything else melted away. 

I thought about you a lot when I was in the web, Dot. Especially in the beginning, when I thought...when I wasn't sure if I would make it. But I didn't worry about you. I knew, no matter what, you'd pull through. You always do. 

Dot wiped at a tear with the back of her hand. I gave up on you, Bob. I didn't think you'd ever come back...I-" 

"Shhh. It's okay. He reached out and took her hand. He smiled, and for a split second, he was the same old Bob. As if he'd never faced the ravages of the web, as if Daemon's threat wasn't hanging over him. She squeezed his hand and scooted closer to him. 

Nice as this is, she said, and as much as we needed to have this conversation, this isn't the only reason you stopped by, is it? 

Ah, no, that is... Bob blushed and cleared his throat. Can I sleep on your couch? I sort of...lent out my apartment for the night. 

Dot smiled. There is always a place for you here. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Remember that? 

So you're not mad I-" 

Dot shrugged, then sighed. They're adults now, strange as that seems. We can't really stop them. She got up. Let me get you a blanket and pillow. 

I'm fine, Dot. Don't worry about it. Go get some downtime. You need it. 

Goodnight, Bob. She stood at the entrance to the hallway and switched off the lights. Pleasant dreams. 

You too, Dot. He stretched out on the sofa and was soon fast asleep. 

---- 

Did I ever tell ya you're amazing? 

Only about a thousand times, sugah. Better watch yourself. Talk like that'll go straight to a gal's head. 

Well, it's the truth. The quiet darkness of Ship's interior wrapped itself around the two sprites. Mouse had flat out refused to take an apartment in Mainframe, so the two had been living in the rear cabin of Ship, still docked in the principle office. 

She asked, propping herself up on an elbow, are ya happy here? 

'Course I am, Luv. 

Ah ain't crampin' your style by keepin' ya here, am Ah? 

Not a bit. I'm a wanted man, remember? sides, anytime I get the urge t' be someplace else, I just look at you and it's all the motivation I need t' stay right where I am. 

She could see him smile in the dim illumination form her static orange hair. She leaned down and kissed him, letting him take her into his arms. She sighed happily. Ah can't tell ya the last time Ah felt this at peace. 

Get used to it. I'm not going anywhere. 

Ya really mean that, Ray? 

You're the best thing that's ever happened t' me, Mouse. Wouldn't trade that for anything. 

She turned around and looked Ray in the eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes, she'd discovered. One was blue, and the other green, but they were so light sensitive he had to wear the goggles most of the time. One of the hazards of being a web surfer, he'd said with a wry smile. Ah love ya, Ray Tracer. Don't think ah'v evah loved anyone before in mah life. 

I love you too, Mouse. He kissed her gently and held her close. 

---- 

AndrAIa lay her head on Matrix's chest, listening to his slow, even breathing and the steady beating of his heart. "You asleep, lover?" 

"No, just thinking." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

"What about?" 

"Us. What we're going to do now that we've finally made it home. I never gave it much thought before." 

"I think we should probably look into getting our own apartment," she laughed. "We can't keep kicking Bob out every time we want a night alone." 

An apartment, yeah. With what money? I don't want to borrow from Dot. That means we'd have to get jobs. And we're not exactly employable." 

"Dot owns half the system! She'll find us something if we ask." 

"I'm tired of relying on Dot for everything." He mumbled. 

"All we have to ask her is to help us get on our feet. After that we'll be able to fend for ourselves." 

"I guess you're right," he sighed. "You always are." 

"It's part of my charm." She yawned. "Goodnight, Sparky." 

"Night AndrAIa." He kissed her forehead softly, then drifted off to sleep. 

---- 

"Bob!" Bob was startled awake as Enzo crashed into him at top speed. "GoodmorningBobWhyareyouhere?There'snoschooltodaysocanyoutakemecircuitracing? 

"Whoa. Good morning to you too, Enzo." 

"Enzo! Get off of Bob. It's not very polite of you to tackle him like that all the time." 

"Sorry, Dot." He scrambled off of Bob and took a seat on the couch next to him. "_Can_ we go circuit racing today, Bob?" 

"We'll see Enzo. Your sister and I have to take care of some things at the principal office today. Maybe this afternoon." 

"Oh, okay." The small sprite looked disappointed. "Hey, where's AndrAIa?" The game sprite had become a regular member of the household and Enzo had just noticed her absence. 

"She left early this morning," Bob replied, deciding that, in this instance, Enzo didn't really need to know the truth. "Why don't you go play outside with Frisket for awhile?" The big dog raised his head at the mention of his name and growled at Bob. Bob rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"All right," Enzo mumbled and slid off the end of the couch. "Come on, Boy." Frisket got up and followed Enzo outside.  
Dot watched from the window as her little brother hopped onto his zipboard and headed for Floating Point park. Frisket bounded away after him, barking enthusiastically. Bob stood behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"It's moments like these I can almost forget everything that's happened," she said. "But then I remember that Daemon is still out there, and that it could all happen again." 

"It won't. I won't let it," he said firmly. "And I'm never leaving you again, remember? I promised." 

"It's just...I'm tired of fighting, Bob. And it's all so unfair. Daemon has no right to do this to us, to anyone!" All of the Command.Com's pent up frustrations simmered behind her words. 

"We're safe for the time being. As far as we know, the Guardians have no idea where we are. We should enjoy the peace and quiet while we can." 

"You're right. Well," she continued, "we should get going. Phong and Mouse will be waiting for us." 

---- 

Mouse stretched lazily, then curled up under the covers again. 

"Better get movin', Luv," Ray said, peeling the covers away from her. "If I'm not mistaken, you've got a meeting t' get to." 

"Cursors!" Mouse yelled, leaping out of the bed. "Ah've gotta go talk with Bob and Dot about upin' the security! Why didn't ya wake me?" 

"Y' look so peaceful when yer sleepin'" 

"Wipe that grin off yoah face, sugah. You're the reason Ah'm runin' late!" She clamored about Ship's cabin getting ready. Ray just lay back on the bunk chuckling to himself. It was rare to see Mouse flustered, and he was enjoying every micro of it. 

"Don't jus' sit there laughin' at me! Get off yoah ASCII and help me find mah hair clip." 

---- 

AndrAIa stood at a window in Bob's apartment, looking out over Mainframe. "It's a beautiful cycle," she said as she heard Matrix walk up behind her. 

"It is," he agreed, rubbing her shoulders. 

"Mmmm...that feels good. So, what do you want to do today, Lover?" 

Matrix shrugged. "I don't know. Mouse was going to help Bob and Dot plan some new defenses to use against the Guardians, but I don't really think they need our help." 

"You're probably right." She paused. "I know! Let's walk down to the beach. We haven't been there in ages." 

"Not since the restart," Matrix said. "Sometimes I just can't get over it. We were gone for hours, but it was an eyeblink to everyone else. It's...weird." 

"I know what you mean. But we can't change the past, so it's no use dwelling on it." She started to walk away from the window, then stopped, an idea coming to her. "Little Enzo has off school today. With the others all at the principal office, I'm sure he's bored. Why don't you see if he wants to come with?" 

"Do I _have_ to?" 

"Yes. Go on. I'll pack a picnic while you're gone." 

"AndrAIa, please!" He didn't enjoy the prospect of having to face his younger self alone. 

"Enough theatrics," she chided. "Don't you remember how lonely you were at his age?" 

Matrix threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay! You win." He kissed her cheek and left the apartment. 

---- 

"Of all the basic..." Enzo kicked at a rock angrily. "Go play with Frisket. We're too busy. No one wants to spend any time with me!" Frisket whined at him, holding a large red Frisbee in his mouth. "Sorry, boy," Enzo said apologetically. He took the Frisbee and sent it sailing across the park. The large dog bounded off in pursuit.  
Enzo sank to the ground beside the data stream, tossing small pebbles into the water. "Like it's _my_ fault things are so messed up. I don't even know what's going on around here anymore. This is so low density." He started to toss another stone into the water but stopped as one went skipping across the water's surface. 

"Is this a private sulk session, or can anyone join?" 

"What do you want?" Enzo asked crossly. He deliberately kept his back to Matrix. It didn't matter what Dot said. No way was mean old Matrix his older self. He never smiled, never laughed, Enzo wondered if he ever had any fun at all. What sort of life was that? 

Matrix looked down at the boy, who was refusing to look at him. Typical, he thought. "AndrAIa and I are going to the beach," he said gruffly. "I came to see if you wanted to go along." 

Enzo spun around and glared at him. "AndrAIa sent you, didn't she?" 

Matrix actually looked embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck absently with one hand. "Yeah, I guess she sort of did," he replied sheepishly. He'd been caught completely off guard by the question. 

"Thanks but no thanks. You don't need a basic little kid like me along. I'd just be in the way." 

Matrix sighed. For once in his life, why couldn't things go simply? He sat down next to Enzo and picked up another stone, not saying a word. Her ran his thumb across its smooth flat surface, cocked his wrist, then sent the stone skipping three times across the data stream before it sank to the bottom. "Enzo," he said finally, "I know how strange this all must seem to you. It's pretty weird for me too." He glanced over to see that the boy was still looking away from him, watching the stream flow steadily past the bank. "You're still a kid, sure, but you're not basic. You're still learning things, figuring out who you are. That's nothing to be ashamed of." He paused again. "Megabyte stole my childhood from me. I want you to enjoy yours." 

This time, Enzo glanced over at him. "You mean that?" 

A slight smile graced Matrix's face. "Sure I do." 

"Matrix?" 

"Yeah, Kid?" 

"Can you teach me to skip stones like that?" 

Matrix found himself chuckling. "You bet. It's all in the wrist." 

"There you boys are!" They turned to see AndrAIa standing midway through the park, a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket tucked under her free arm. "Ready to go?" 

"Yeah!" Enzo sprang to his feet and raced across the park. Matrix followed at a leisurely pace, catching up with AndrAIa and linking arms. They watched Enzo run off, Frisket barking and running circles around him, down toward the docks. 

"What did you say to him?" 

Matrix shrugged. "Nothing much." 

"Well, whatever it was, it put him in a good mood," she smiled as they continued their slow stroll toward the beach. 

End Part One 

Continue...

Back


	2. 2

Time scale:   
nanosecond=second   
microsecond=minute   
millisecond=hour   
cycle=day   
second=week   
minute=month   
hour=year 

AndrAIa leaned back on the blanket, watching Enzo and Frisket play near the water's edge. Matrix leaned over and kissed her cheek, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. "I know what you're thinking," he said, seeing the wistful expression on her face as she watched the boy. "I can see it in your eyes." 

"We decided to wait until we found Mainframe, Enzo. Now we're here." 

"That was before we knew about Daemon, AndrAIa." 

"What are we supposed to do?" She stared back at him, eyes shining. "If we put our lives on hold for as long as she's lurking around the 'Net, she's already won!" 

"Shhhh....it's okay." He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. He stole a glance over at Enzo, who was now chasing Frisket down the length of the beach, then continued. "I know you want a baby, AndrAIa, but this just isn't the right time." She started to say something, but he silenced her with a quick kiss. "We'll talk some more about it...but not here, okay?" She nodded, but the hurt look remained on her face. 

---- 

"Morning, Mouse. Nice of you to join us. Sleep well?" Bob asked as the hacker sauntered into the core control room, a cross look on her face. The annoyance faded into a slight look of embarrassment as she caught the grin on the guardian's face. 

"Yeah, slept just fine. Let's get working on the defense grid." 

"Well..." Dot began, leaning over the console "We've got the standard defenses around the principal office, and the CPUs, but we're back on the 'Net again and those aren't going to be enough if Daemon decides to pay us a visit." She shook her head. "Bob, viruses are your area of expertise. What do you think?" 

He sighed heavily. "Well, from what Matrix and AndrAIa told me, I don't think anything will stop Daemon if she wants to get in badly enough. She's got the Guardian Collective at her beck and call, not to mention all the recourses the Supercomputer's armory has to offer." 

Dot winced. "That bad, huh? So what are our options? We could close the ports again, but that would leave us cut off. We'd have no way of knowing what Daemon was up to." 

"Not necessarily..." Mouse broke in. "Ray and I could do reconnaissance. It's a sight easier t' hide Mainframe's web address than it is t' hide the system while we're on the 'Net. And if Ah re-set the web defenses t' respond to a password, Daemon and the guardians'll have to try and hack it t' get in. We rig the sensors t' tell us when someone's out there and we can scramble our forces before they have a chance to attack." 

Dot nodded. "You'll check with Ray to see if this is okay? You guys'll be in a lot of danger out there..." 

"Hun, I'm sure that's nothing new t' him. But Ah'll ask." 

"Okay. How long will it take you to set up the password?" 

"A cycle at most. It's not anything too complicated." 

"Right. You can start on that tomorrow. That takes care of the defenses, but it doesn't get to the root of the problem. Something has to be done about Daemon." 

---- 

Dot entered the Diner, deep in thought. She knew the only real way to fight Daemon was to take the battle to her, but Bob seemed dead set against the idea.   
She glanced around the half-empty room and noticed AndrAIa sitting alone in the far booth, looking very upset. With a sigh, Dot walked over and sat down across from her. "Is something wrong, AndrAIa?" 

"Oh, hello Dot." The game sprite looked up at her, wiping tears from her face. "N-no. It's nothing." 

"If you're crying, it's far from nothing. Did you have a fight with Matrix?" 

"Sort of..." She related their conversation at the beach. 

Dot sat in shocked silence for a moment. "Well," she began, not sure what to say. "He has a point, AndrAIa. You're both so young still..." 

"Don't you think we're responsible?" She asked in a slightly angry tone. 

"Of course I think you're responsible. I just- maybe you should think about getting married first." 

AndrAIa sighed. "We already have." 

"You've talked about it? That's a good step-" 

"No, I mean we have. Enzo and I are married." 

"You...are?" 

AndrAIa smiled weakly. "That's what Bob said. We told him last night- don't be mad." Dot sighed. "I'm not mad. I just wish people would tell me these things. No wonder Matrix is so mad at me. I suppose I'll have to apologize later." She rubbed at the side of her head with one hand, then continued. "AndrAIa, becoming a parent is a big step. It's not a decision to take lightly. I didn't have a choice. When my parents died, I had to take over as _both_ parents for Enzo. I was young, younger than you are now, and I had to grow up incredibly fast. I missed out on a lot. Don't get me wrong, I love Enzo- both of him- but my life would be vastly different without him. I might have had children of my own at this point- who can say? You and Matrix already lost part of your lives to the games. I don't want you to miss out on the time you have together now by rushing into things.   
I can't tell you what's best. You are both adults now and it's time I started accepting that. This decision is between you and him. But I can tell you what I think, and I think you should wait. Take some time to enjoy being home before you think some more about this. Don't worry, I'm sure you two will be able to work this out." She stood to go. "Well, I've got some things to take care of in the back." 

AndrAIa nodded, and watched Dot vanish into the back of the diner. A few micros later, Matrix walked in. "There you are." He sat down across from her. "You're not still upset with me, are you?" 

"A little. I talked with Dot-" 

"You told Dot? AndrAIa, this is between us. We don't need Dot-" 

"I told her we're married, Enzo. She's not upset." 

"Maybe not with you," he muttered, "but you can bet _I'm_ going to hear about it later. Just great." 

"I don't understand why you don't want to talk about this..." 

"Because I don't!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "And I don't appreciate you bringing my sister into this! Why can't you just leave it alone?" He got up and started walking away. 

"Where are you going?" 

"For a walk. Alone." From his harsh tone, she knew better than to say anything else and sank back into the booth dejectedly as Matrix stormed out of the diner, brushing past Bob and Mouse who were just entering. 

Bob watched Matrix stomp off. "Wonder what that was about." 

"Looks like trouble in paradise t' me, sugah." Mouse commented, pointing to AndrAIa huddled in the far booth. 

Bob sighed. "I'm going to go find Dot." 

"Ah'll go check an' make sure AndrAIa's okay." 

---- 

"Dot?" 

"I'm here, Bob." Dot leaned against the wall next to a stack of cardboard cartons. 

"Dot, is something going on I don't know about? Matrix just stormed out of the diner-" 

"He did?" She sighed. "How's AndrAIa?" 

"She looked pretty upset. Mouse is with her. What's going on?" 

"They've been arguing lately, I guess." Dot said tiredly. "AndrAIa wants to start a family, but Enzo gets defensive whenever she brings it up." She shook her head sadly. "I don't think he's noticed how much he's hurting her." 

"Do you want me to talk to him?" 

"Could you? I honestly have no idea what goes on in his head. It's like he's a stranger, instead of my little brother. Maybe he'll talk to you, though." 

"Well, it's worth a try at any rate. I'll go find him." 

Dot reached out and caught his arm as he turned to go. "Bob, thank you." 

He leaned over and kissed her cheek lightly. "It's no problem. I'll see you later." She nodded and watched as he headed back out into the diner. 

---- 

"Thought I might find you here." 

Matrix was leaning against the fence to the data dump, shoulders slumped, staring at the ground in front of him. "Hello, Bob," Matrix muttered not looking up. "Dot sent you to find me, huh?" 

"No, actually. I came because I wanted to know what's going on. Dot's worried about you, and frankly, so am I. This behavior isn't like you. AndrAIa was in tears when I came into the diner, and the Enzo Matrix I know would never intentionally do anything to hurt her like that. Which means that there's more going on here than meets the eye." 

Matrix cast a sidelong glance at the guardian. "I guess you're right," he said after a moment. 

"Want to talk about it?" 

"I don't know what to say, really. I'm just...uncomfortable with the idea. I'm not ready for this." 

"Why haven't you told AndrAIa that?" 

"Because she _is_ ready. And I feel basic because I'm not, like maybe I should agree with her because it will make her happy." 

Bob shook his head. "Don't do that. This is too important. If you're not sure, than don't do it." 

"I should go talk to her, I guess." 

"You should. She's back at the diner with Dot and Mouse." 

Matrix nodded and stood to go. "Thanks, Bob." 

"All in a cycle's work." The guardian flashed him a lopsided smile, "Though if you really want to thank me, there is a favor you could do..." 

---- 

Matrix could feel his sister's gaze upon him as he walked into the diner. He flinched slightly. He was going to have to apologize to her later. Then again, the favor he was doing for Bob might prove apology enough...   
Dot, Mouse, and AndrAIa were all sitting in the back booth sipping energy shakes. AndrAIa had stopped crying but still looked rather upset. He walked over and slipped into the seat next to her. Dot and Mouse eyed him warily for a nano before leaving the booth and heading out of the diner. 

He glanced over at AndrAIa and then down at the table top. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he sighed. "I was confused. And a bit jealous, I guess. I'm just not ready for this AndrAIa, and I'm sorry. I know how much this means to you but...I just can't handle this sort of responsibility. Not right now." 

AndrAIa looked over at him, weary expression on her face. "I wish you would have just told me that, Enzo. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? I honestly thought you didn't love me enough to even want to consider this! And while I can understand why you don't want a baby right now, I can't forgive you for letting me think that. Not yet." 

He glanced over at her again. "I suppose I deserve that." 

"Yes, you do." 

He bowed his head sheepishly. "Well, I've got to go pick Enzo up from school. I promised Bob I'd keep him out of the house tonight, so I guess we'll go circuit racing or something. Want to come?" 

"No, I've got other things to do. I'll meet you two back here later for dinner." 

"All right." He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, thought better of it, slid out of the booth, and left the diner to pick up Enzo. 

---- 

AndrAIa headed back to Bob's apartment and started looking for something to do. The place was a mess, but that was to be expected with two guys living there. She contemplated picking it up, but just didn't have the motivation or the energy. She could feel the beginnings of a nasty headache coming on and decided to forgo all cleaning efforts for an nice hot bath. "I wonder if Bob has bubble bath?" 

---- 

Dot found Bob waiting for her outside her house when she got there. "Shouldn't you be picking Enzo up?" 

Bob smiled mischievously. "Matrix said he'd do it." 

"Well, that was nice of him. I take it your talk went well?" 

He stood there just watching her in the light of the late afternoon. "Huh?" He snapped back to attention and blushed slightly. 

"Your talk? It went well?" She asked, giving him a curious look. 

"Oh, that. Yeah. Look...I also convinced Matrix to keep Enzo out of our hair so we could have an evening to ourselves...." He reached out and took her hand. "Just you and me." 

Dot smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you. I could use a nice quiet evening after all that talking we did about Daemon-" 

Bob pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. "We're not going to talk about work. Not tonight." He removed his finger and kissed her. "I'm taking you out to dinner, so go get ready and I'll meet you back here in a millisecond." 

---- 

AndrAIa slid into the hot water and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub, mounds of bubbles rising almost to her chin. The discovery of the bottle of bubble bath in the back of the Guardian's bathroom cabinet would make for some great gossip later. She stretched out along the length of the tub and sighed. She was still all worked up over her argument with Matrix. She could see his position clearly enough, she could tell that he was still uneasy here in Mainframe, uncertain of himself- of how he appeared to the people who'd known him as a boy. But it didn't take the sting out of his rejection of the idea. 

She was so caught up in thought she didn't hear Bob until he'd opened the bathroom door. She saw a flash of blue and silver before the door slammed shut again. 

"Uh...sorry about that." Came his muffled apology. 

"My fault. I should have locked the door," she replied. "This is your apartment after all. Do you need me to leave?" 

"No, go ahead. I can shower at the principal office." 

She heard him walk away from the door. "Hey, Bob?" 

"Yeah?" 

"This is nice bubble bath!" She laughed. 

"Uh, thanks." AndrAIa could practically see him blush as he left the apartment. 

---- 

After the bath water had grown cold, AndrAIa climbed out of the tub, dried off and got dressed again. She towel dried her hair then zipped back over to the Diner to meet up with Matrix and Enzo. The boys were already seated in a booth so she slid in next to Enzo, giving the boy's cap a playful spin as she sat down. "How was your day?" She asked. 

"School was basic," the boy muttered. "We had this huge history test and I think I got all the dates mixed up." 

"And how much time did you spend studying for this test?" 

"Not enough I guess." He glanced up at AndrAIa. "You're starting to sound like Dot!" 

"Am I?" She laughed. "Sorry. Did you two go circuit racing?" 

"Yeah, it was alphanumeric. I think Matrix was letting me win though." 

"No way, Kid. You beat me fair and square. I guess I'm still a bit rusty. Haven't been circuit racing in hours." 

---- 

Dot searched around in her closet looking for something to wear, and was quickly discovering that her collection of formal-wear was sorely lacking. Most of the hangers held business suits of some kind, which she wore to important meetings. As she dug farther back into her closet she found the few dresses she had reserved for evenings out, of which she had sparingly few. After looking over the slim assortment, she chose the dark blue one, knee length with thicker straps and a modestly cut neckline. Then she touched up her hair and makeup in the bathroom. 

There was a knock on the front door as she was giving herself one last glance in the mirror. She grabbed her purse off the couch on her way to the front door. 

"Wow, Dot, you look...Wow," Bob commented, taking her arm. 

"Thank you," She smiled shyly and blushed slightly. "You look good too." Bob had changed into a white collar-less shirt and slate grey slacks. He grinned at her and Dot felt a bit weak in the knees. His smile never failed to do that to her. 

---- 

"Ray, you in here?" Mouse called, sticking her head through Ship's entryway. 

"Right here luv," he replied, appearing from the rear cabin of the craft. He walked over to where she was now leaning in the doorway. 

"You busy, sugah?" 

"Was just headin' out t' do a bit of surfing." He gestured to the board tucked under one arm. He noticed the troubled look on her face and leaned the board against the wall. "Somethin' on y'r mind, pretty lady?" He reached out and cupped the side of her face in his hand. 

"Ray," she began, reaching up and grasping his hand in her own, "we need t' talk." 

He frowned slightly at her tone. "Sure thing, luv." They dropped hands and took seats in the cockpit chairs, turning them inward to face each other. Mouse leaned forward, elbows resting on knees, fixing Ray with a look devoid of her normal playfulness. "Y'know Ah had that meetin' with the others this mornin', 'bout what we're gonna do about Daemon and the Guardians." 

"Things looking bad, Mouse?" 

"Yeah, from what Bob told us." She took a deep breath. "We decided that t' best thing we can do for Mainframe is t' shut down all the ports to the 'Net again. Problem is, that leaves us isolated. No way t' know what Daemon is up to." 

"Unless you've got someone on the outside to report back. Y' know I'll do it, luv. All y' had to do is ask. When do you need me t' leave?" 

"Ah ain't askin' ya t' do this alone, Ray. If we do this, we do it together. An' that ain't debatable." 

"Mouse, the web is a dangerous place..." 

"Hun, Ah've seen more than my fair share o' danger. Tryin' t' be protective is cute, but it ain't gonna work." 

Ray chuckled. "Should 'ave known better than to even try. Okay, when do *we* leave?" 

---- 

Dot pushed her plate away, meal only half eaten. She was still feeling too uneasy to be very hungry. She gazed across the table at Bob and smiled wistfully. He was talking animatedly about an incident that had occurred during his years at the academy, and though it was an admittedly interesting story, her mind kept wandering thoughts lingering on the half smile on his face that was there even when he was talking, his warm inviting eyes, even the way the candle light glinted off his hair. She sighed, realizing, not for the first time, how badly she wanted to run her hands back through that hair, how badly she wanted _him_. When had this happened? When had they gone form good friends to...to what? They'd shared a kiss. One kiss. That was it. But she wanted it to be so much more. 

"-go?" 

"What? I'm sorry Bob, my mind was wandering," she said, cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

If he noticed her discomfort, he pretended he hadn't and smiled warmly at her. "I asked if you were ready to go." 

She nodded. "I wasn't very hungry, I'm afraid." 

"Hey, don't worry about it." He reached across the table and covered her hand with his own. "I'm just glad you agreed to come along." 

"I'd go anywhere with you. Besides, this is certainly a lot better than that time you hauled me into the sewers to escape Megabyte's troops," she laughed. 

Bob watched her laugh at the memory with quiet admiration. At the time, there'd been nothing funny about the incident, which had ended up being an elaborate set up. That betrayal had left Dot shaken, doubting her leadership abilities, and the fact that she could laugh about it now was a testament to just how strong she was. He'd know Guardians who would have cracked under the pressure she'd been under during his absence, but not Dot. That inner fortitude only added more radiance to her outward beauty. And she was so beautiful... 

"Now who's mind is wandering?" She teased, amethyst eyes sparkling with merriment. 

"Sorry," he murmured. "You had me spellbound." He grinned as he saw her blush. 

---- 

"It's been such a nice night," Dot commented as they left the restaurant. "It'd be a shame to end it now." 

"We could go back to your place," Bob replied, not missing the mischievous glint in Dot's eyes. It was a look he was more accustom to seeing on Enzo when the boy was up to no good. 

"Let's," she replied, linking arms with him. 

End Part Two 

Continue... 

Back 


	3. 3

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

Matrix shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. It was no use. The theater seats just weren't built for people his size. Beside him, Enzo was munching popcorn and talking animatedly. "Did you _see_ that? Alphanumeric!" 

"Yeah, kid," he mumbled, wincing at a particularly violent fight scene between the protagonists and the hulking monsters. Maybe AndrAIa was right when she'd said 'Web Invaders' would give Enzo nightmares. It was nothing compared to some of the things Matrix had seen, but Enzo had been spared the violence of Megabyte's take over and the horrors of the games. Sometimes, he almost envied the boy, knowing that he too had once been that innocent. 

After they'd finished eating, Matrix had proposed the idea of the movie. AndrAIa had scolded him over his choice of films, and had then gone back to Bob's apartment, claiming she had a headache. Matrix sighed. Well, at least they were on speaking terms, even if he had been relegated to the proverbial dog house. When the house lights came back on, he glanced over to find Enzo sleeping, head slumped on his shoulder. With a faintly amused smile, he scooped the boy up and carried him from the theater. Though it was long after dark, the air outside was still warm, and Matrix took his time walking back to Bob's apartment, the sleeping Enzo showing no sign of waking. Frisket had joined him outside the theater and was now trotting along happily at his side. Glancing down at his sleeping younger self, Matrix allowed himself a rare smile. Strangely enough, this felt almost natural. He marveled at how amazingly peaceful Enzo managed to look when he was asleep. Not a trace of his normal hyperactive nature was visible. He seemed incredibly fragile, in need of protecting. "Well, that's what we're here for." He murmured to himself. "To make sure you don't have to ever go through what AndrAIa and I did."  
The apartment was dark when he got there, and he assumed AndrAIa was asleep in his bedroom. Being as quiet as possible, Matrix carried the still sleeping Enzo into Bob's empty bedroom and tucked him in. It was pretty late in the cycle, and he doubted Bob would be back.He walked down the hall to his own bedroom and went inside, trying not to wake AndrAIa. Unfortunately, she'd always been a light sleeper and she sat up in the bed as he closed the door behind him. 

"Enzo?" 

"Yeah. Sorry I woke you, AndrAIa. How's your headache?" 

"Better," she replied. "How did Enzo like the movie?" 

"He fell asleep before it was over," he said as he changed into a pair of sweatpants before climbing in next to her. He noted with a slight smile that she was wearing an oversized black tee-shirt with a picture of a bright red motorcycle and 'Born to Ride' scrawled underneath in white letters. "When did you get that?" 

"Saw it a few days ago when I was out with Mouse. Like it?" 

"It's very you," he murmured, leaning back on the pillows. He was more tired than he'd thought. 

"I'm glad you think so." She propped herself up on one elbow, and Matrix reached out to toy with a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face. "I'm still mad at you, you know," she said, but her tone was soft. 

"Good. I don't deserve to be forgiven. Not yet." 

AndrAIa sighed at the familiar tone in his voice. She hated it when he got all angsty on her. "Look," she started in an attempt to shake him out of his sullen mood, "if it helps, I think you would be a great father. And I'm not just saying that because you're my husband, either. I saw how you handled Enzo in the park today." 

Matrix sighed. "Yeah, but it's easy with him. He's _me_. I know exactly how he thinks." 

AndrAIa sighed again. "Let's not talk about this anymore tonight, okay? We're both tired and it's only going to get one or both of us upset." She lay down next to him, pulling the covers about her shoulders, and they were both soon asleep. 

---- __

It was so cold. Mind-numbingly so. Even his armored Guardian uniform failed to protect him from the icy chill of the web. His small pod was being buffeted from side to side by invisible currents and he was sure he'd be nauseous if he weren't so unbelievably cold. Outside the window of the pod, he could see the web swirling in a thousand different patterns. So big and empty. He felt so small and insignificant out here. So alone. He hadn't felt this alone since his parents had abandoned him as a child. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to close out the memories of other cold cycles spent alone, wandering the streets of the Supercomputer...before Turbo had gotten him into the academy. 

Turbo. The man who had been a father figure to him. The man who'd betrayed him by sending Mouse to destroy Mainframe. He'd managed to save the system, but now he was going to die here. Alone. 

He was ripped from his morbid train of thought as the walls of his small prison collapsed inward, crushed in the iron grip of a web creature. He was momentarily disorientated as he was blasted by the web's full brutal force, and that was enough time for the creature to wrap it's long, sinuous tentacles around his body. He flailed violently, but it was futile. The web creature squeezed tighter and tighter and he found himself blacking out, unable to breath. His last thought before the darkness claimed him was "No...not like this..." And the last image that flitted through his mind was of Dot's face... 

He sat bolt upright in bed, the cold he'd felt in his dream still clinging to him. He sat there for a moment, trying to get his bearings, and almost jumped out of his skin when a hand closed on his arm. 

"Bob?" Dot's voice drifted from the darkness beside him, and slowly, memories of the present pressed the nightmare from his fear-fogged mind. "Bob, is something the matter?" 

He ran his hands back through his sleep-disheveled hair and tried to slow the frantic beating of his heart. "No," he said, sounding a bit shaky. "I'm okay." Inwardly, he shuddered. He hadn't had that dream in minutes, not since he'd been with the web riders. 'Why now?' he thought. 'After all this time...' "A bad dream, that's all." 

"You didn't tell me you were having nightmares," Dot said, sitting up and wrapping her arms around him from behind, warm body pressed against his cold one in a comforting embrace. 

"I wasn't," he replied. "It's nothing, I'm sure." 

"You're shaking, Bob. That must have been some dream. Do you want to talk about it?" She was careful not to pry. He hadn't talked much about his time in the web--with good reason if this nightmare was any indication--and she didn't want to force him into sharing anything he wasn't ready to. 

"There isn't much to tell," he said, sounding drained. "Not long after Megabyte shot me into the web I was attacked by a web creature. It almost killed me, would have if the web riders hadn't saved me." The mention of his rescue by the Riders stirred up other dark memories but he forced them away. "I thought I was going to die out there, alone, without ever telling you how I really felt." 

"Shhhh...it's okay." She reached up and touched his cheek, surprised when she found it wet with tears. "It's okay," she repeated softly, holding him a little tighter. "You're not alone anymore." 

---- 

"Matrix?" 

Matrix's eyes flew open at the voice and sat up suddenly. He relaxed slightly as he saw Enzo standing beside the bed, wide-eyed. "It's just you," he sighed. "What's the matter, Enzo?" 

"I--" The boy paused for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not to continue. "I had a bad dream," he said finally. 

"I _told_ you that movie would give him nightmares," AndrAIa's slightly groggy voice scolded from the other side of the bed. She sat up next to Matrix and patted the space between them with her hand. "Come on up," she said, looking over at Enzo. The boy obediently clambered into the bed to sit between the two older sprites. "What was this dream about?" 

"The web creatures were attacking Mainframe," he began. "Like Dot told me 'bout. Before Megabyte took over. I was all by myself. I couldn't find Bob or Dot or you guys or Frisket or anyone! And it scared me." 

"Well, we're here now Enzo. There's nothing to be afraid of. You've even got Frisket to protect you," she smiled. "Just like he did for Matrix and me." 

Enzo glanced from AndrAIa to Matrix and back again, sighing. "Yeah, I guess..." he said uncertainly. 

"Look, kid," Matrix said, reaching over and tousling the boy's already unruly hair, "would it make you feel better if we let you sleep in here with us?" 

Enzo nodded emphatically, and AndrAIa and Matrix both made room for him between them. "There we go," AndrAIa said, pulling the covers up around Enzo's shoulders. "Now let's get some sleep. No more web creatures." 

Enzo nodded again. "Thanks AndrAIa, you too, Matrix. You guys are the best." 

---- 

With a sigh, Dot cracked one eye open and peeked at the bedside clock. "We're going to be late," she commented, seeing the display. She rolled over, only to find the bed empty. "Bob?" 

"Right here, Dot." He peeked his head through the doorway. "Just making some Java." 

Dot sat up and stretched, yawning as she did so. "You're the best," she smiled, getting up and pulling on her bathrobe. "I'm going to take a quick shower." 

"Want some company?" He asked slyly, waggling his eyebrows. Dot threw a pillow at him from the bed, but he dodged it and it thumped harmlessly against the wall in the hallway. 

"I'd love some, but Phong and Mouse are expecting us, remember? We've got to get those new defenses up." She kissed him quickly on her way into the bathroom. 

---- __

Brenna tapped her foot impatiently, staring with disgust at the cold grey wall in front of her. Those tech boys had been keeping her waiting well over a millisecond now. She was about ready to kick down the door when an aging binome came into the small waiting area. 

"Brenna?" He looked up into the tall woman's face. She might have been a breathtakingly beautiful girl if not for the jagged X shaped scar on her left cheek and the permanent scowl that marred her features. 

"Are we ready to do this?" The young woman snapped, tossing her long blue hair behind her shoulder agitatedly. 

The binome nodded. "As long as you're still sure you want to attempt this. You understand there are certain... risks involved. The virus is untested..." 

"I know all this old man. That's why I'm here, isn't it? To test this thing." 

He nodded sagely at her. "It is indeed, my dear. And if all goes well, the daemon virus will give you power beyond your imagining." 

"I can imagine quite a lot," she said snidely, following the binome as he lead her into a large laboratory. "Those fools at the academy will never know what hit them." 

"Yes, yes." The binome sighed, tired of hearing the woman's all consuming need for revenge. "Just remember what we agreed upon. We inject you with the virus. You're then free to test out it's abilities on the Guardian Collective, but you must report back to us once that is finished. You work for us now." 

Brenna shrugged. "What ever you say. Can we get this over with?" 

"Of course, right this way." He led her over to where several Binomes and sprites were working at a bench filled with scientific equipment. The old scientist had his reservations about his superiors' choice of test subjects, the young assassin was full of venom and would likely be hard to control, but he supposed pickers couldn't be choosers in this line of work. After all, what they were about to do was highly illegal. "Gentlemen, if you'd prepare our subject, we can begin." 

Two of the sprites broke away from their work and escorted Brenna to a long steal table that was tipped vertically against one wall. "Hey...what's with the restraints?" She asked indignantly as the steal manacles were snapped in place around her wrists and ankles. "Afraid I'm going to bolt? Well, I'm not." 

The head scientist bit back his annoyance with the girl and answered smoothly "Just a precaution, you understand. The initial bonding with the virus could leave you momentarily disorientated, and we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself or others." He jerked his head at the two workers and they tipped the large table into a horizontal position. Behind him at the table, the other technicians were busy loading what looked like a gun with a large needle attached to the end of it. He took the instrument and walked over to the table, climbing the short set of steps that allowed him to lean over Brenna. He saw the girl's pale blue eyes widen slightly at the sight and he chuckled inwardly. For all her bravado, she _was_ afraid of what would happen next. He briefly wondered what his superiors had told the beautiful young woman in order to coerce her into agreeing to such a dangerous experiment. Then, putting aside all personal concerns, he glanced at her face one last time, the instrument containing the virus poised over her arm. "Don't worry. The pain should be...minimal." Without further ceremony, he plunged the needle into a vein in her arm and pulled the trigger, releasing the virus into her system. 

At first nothing happened. The head scientist stepped away from the table and waited anxiously. They had put too much time, effort, and secrecy into this to have if fail now. 

Brenna lay absolutely still. Except for the initial injection, she felt nothing. Then a strange tingling began to pervade her limbs, swiftly building to fire like intensity. Her pale eyes wide with pain, she managed to gasp out "What's...happening?" It was the last thing Brenna ever said. 

Her body began to convulse violently, arms and legs straining against the restraints. She screamed, a sound so chilling the collective group of scientists took a step backward. "This isn't right," the head scientist murmured, eyes fixed upon the screaming girl's writhing form. "User help us..." 

Brenna's mind was being torn to shreds, fractured as the virus' consciousness began to merge with her own. Another horrifying scream passed from her lips as a thousand alien thoughts exploded inside her mind, not just the virus', which oozed like a black vile oil in all the corners of her psyche, but those of the scientists and the technicians, thoughts from a hundred sprites and binomes working in the complex. She lashed out blindly, trying to force those thoughts away trying to find what was left of Brenna amidst the ruins of her mind...and all around her, people fell to the ground, instantly struck dead by the telepathic backlash. 

Brenna's pale form became the eye of the hurricane of destruction that was swirling around her, destroying everything in its path. The hazardous chemicals stored in locker in the lab exploded, turning the room to a fiery inferno. The destruction spread outward like ripples in a pond, ripping through the base and leveling it. 

As the last waves of chaos slowly dissipated, a figure stirred in the ash and debris of the ravaged base, the sole survivor of the maelstrom. She found her feet easily and began to walk away from the disaster, her mind a raw, barren place. In one dark corner of her scared psyche, the woman known as Brenna weeped and tried to remember who she was. And all around her, the thick oily thoughts of the virus whispered to her, soothingly. "We are Daemon," it said softly, and reached out, enveloping the girl's last shred of identity. 

---- 

"Well, there you two are," Mouse commented as Bob and Dot entered the core control room. "Nice of ya' t' join us. Sleep well?" She cocked an eyebrow and gave Bob a pointed glance, unable to resist tossing Bob's comment from the cycle before back in his face. She grinned triumphantly as the Guardian blushed. 

"Uh, yeah," he mumbled, reminding himself to think twice before he ragged on Mouse again. 

Dot, on the other hand, took the comment in stride and got right down to work. "Did you talk to Ray?" she asked, slipping her headset in place over one ear. 

"Yeah, Ah talked t' him. Stubborn sprite tried t' insist on doin' this by himself." 

Bob smirked. "Of course he did, Mouse. You should have expected that." 

"An' he shoulda known that nothin' short of bein' deleted would stop me from goin' with him." 

"Point," Bob conceded. "So, how far have you gotten on recalibrating the web defenses?" 

"'Bout half way done, sugah. Shouldn't cause me too much trouble." 

"That's great," Dot interjected. "Then maybe we can take a break and discuss the travel arrangements for you and Ray? You know I don't feel comfortable sending either of you out there." 

"Ah know, Dot. But we talked this over and we all know this is the only way." 

"I know," the Command.Com sighed. "That doesn't make me feel any better about it." 

"Hey," Mouse said, taking a seat beside Dot on the edge of the console. "Me an' Ray can take care of ourselves." 

"Still, I'd feel better if I didn't have to send you out there unprotected." 

"Speaking of that," Bob said, trying to cut some of the emotional tension. "What are you going to do for web protection?" 

"Way ahead of you, Guardian. Ray's agreed t' let me hack into his icon t' see if I can duplicate that web armor of his. If Ah can, Ah might even be able t' incorporate it into Ship's systems. That way, we'll have a little firepower on our side instead of bein' out there by our lonesome." 

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Dot said. "Let's do it." 

"What are we doing?" AndrAIa's voice rang out as she, Matrix and Enzo walked into the room. 

"Just going over a few adjustments to the system," she said, smoothly avoiding mention of Daemon in Enzo's presence. After everything that had happened to Matrix, she was doing her best to keep Enzo's life as worry free as possible. "Bob, why don't you take Enzo jet bowling? I think we're pretty much finished here." 

Bob could see the unspoken message in Dot's eyes and readily agreed. "Come on, Enzo. You can tell me all about what you did last night." 

After the two had left, AndrAIa spoke up. "Okay, so what are we _really_ doing?" 

Dot leaned back against the console and sighed. "We decided to shut down the ports to the 'Net again to keep Daemon from tracking Bob and Matrix. Mouse and Ray have agreed to act as our scouts in the web." 

AndrAIa nodded. "Hence the need for secrecy around certain little sprites." 

"Well, he's bound to figure out something's up eventually, but I'd like to avoid worrying him for as long as possible. All that pressure's not good for him," Dot cast a mournful glance in her other 'little' brother's direction. Matrix returned her gaze, a slightly guilty look settling on his features as he remembered their argument. 

Seeing the look that passed between the Comand.Com and her brother, Mouse quickly intervened. "Right now, Ah'm changin' the web defenses t' respond to a password so Ray an' Ah can get in and out. Ah could use a hand, AndrAIa, if you're interested." 

"I'd love to," AndrAIa replied, easily picking up on Mouse's intentions. 

"Great. Let's head on over t' my workstation and we can get started." The two female sprites exited the room, leaving Matrix and Dot alone in the control room. 

"Those two are nothing but trouble," Matrix mumbled good naturedly. He glanced up at his sister. "Did you and Bob have a good time last night?" 

"We did," she smiled. "Thank you for looking after Enzo." 

"Yeah, well, I guess I didn't really mind. AndrAIa wasn't feeling well so it was just me and him." 

"Speaking of AndrAIa, did you two manage to work things out?" 

"I guess. She'll forgive me eventually, anyway. Look," he began slowly, "I wanted to apologize for what I said the other cycle. It was way out of line." 

"No, you were right, at least in part anyway. I was treating you like little sprites. I just hadn't realized it. But you have to understand my point of view. An hour ago, you were 1.1... and now, well look at you. You're all grown up." She smiled wistfully. "And now AndrAIa tells me you two got married. Are you intentionally trying to give your poor sister a heart attack?" 

Matrix gave her a sheepish look. "I suppose we should have told you earlier." 

"Yes, you should have," she replied. "It would have avoided a lot of confusion." 

"You're not mad then?" 

"Mad? Only that I wasn't there to see it," she said. "Other than that, I couldn't be happier for you. You two are perfect for each other." 

Matrix smiled, one of the first genuine smiles Dot had seen on his face since he'd returned to Mainframe. "I'd like to think so. Well, since apparently everyone in Mainframe knows about this now, " he reached down and slid open a small compartment in the side of his belt and pulled out his gold wedding band, "I suppose I can wear this again." He slipped in onto his finger. "It'll make AndrAIa happy at least, she can show off her engagement ring all over again." 

Dot laughed. "Well, are we done apologizing then, little brother?" 

"Sure, sis." 

"Good. Let's go see what Mouse and AndrAIa are up to then. We've finally got Mainframe running so smoothly that there's nothing much left for me to do around here." 

"Let me guess, all this free time is driving you random. And you used to say _I_ had too much energy. I wasn't the one multi-tasking twenty four milliseconds a cycle." 

"Watch it, you," she said playfully. "You may be bigger than I am now, but I'm still your older sister. That gives me the exclusive right to kick your ASCII whenever I see fit." 

Matrix chuckled "I cannot believe you just said that..." 

"You're as bad as Bob," she pouted. "Why is it everyone thinks I'm the straight laced one?" 

"Because you are?" 

"I am not! I'll have you know I was quite the rebel in my day. Where'd you think I got the tattoo?" She pointed to her shoulder. 

"I was going to ask you about that...speaking of Bob, are you two finally going to admit you're a couple now, or are you going to keep sneaking around, hoping the rest of us don't notice? Ow!" He yelped in surprise as his sister's booted foot came in contact with his rear end. 

"That answer your question, mister?" 

"Okay, none of my business. Got it." 

"Good," Dot said smugly and continued down the hallway. 

---- 

"You still sure you want to do this, hun?" Mouse asked, looking at the icon in her hand. 

"Sure thing, luv. I told ya I trust you." 

"Thanks Ray. You're one of the few." She set the icon into the holder and set to work hacking into the code. Ray stood behind her, hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder as he watched her fingers fly over the keys. Watching her at work like this, he had no doubt she was one of the best there was at her trade. 

"Did you ever think of doin' anything besides bein' a hacker, Mouse?" 

"Not really, sugah. Ah've been doin' this since I was knee high to a binome. You?" 

"Never really had much of a choice, luv. Y' might say it's a family business." 

"Yeah, but it was your choice t' surf the web, right? Ah mean, ya always coulda stuck t' the safety of the 'Net." 

"Yeah, guess you're right. Never much thought of it that way." 

"There! Ah think Ah got it." She reached down and pulled her own icon off her belt. "Here Ah go again. This is gettin' t' be a habit." She placed her icon in the other holder. After typing in a few more commands, a bright light appeared between the two icons and then faded away again after a few nanoseconds. "That's it," she said, plucking both icons from their holders and handing Ray's back to him. "Ah took the liberty of makin' yours rebootable. Hope ya don't mind. If you're gonna be spending this much time in systems, y' don't want t' risk havin' a game cube fall on ya." 

Ray chuckled. "Thanks, luv." 

"Well, time t' see if this worked." She'd decided it was best to try downloading the web armor code into her own icon before trying to adapt it to Ship's systems. She double clicked the icon and it morphed into an oval shape with an 'm' on the front, and she was instantly covered with the snakeskin-like web armor. She wrinkled her nose. "This sure feels funny, sugah." 

"Y' get used to it after awhile," Ray said. 

"If ya say so." She quickly tapped the icon again and the armor melted away. "Ah'll have t' remember t' pick up a pair of goggles someplace t' protect my eyes." 

"Make sure y' do, luv. That was my mistake an' I'm paying for it now." He tapped the side of his own goggles. 

Mouse grinned and threw her arms around his neck. "Well, Ah love ya jus' the way you are, sugah," she said, then leaned in for a passionate kiss. 

Continue...

Back


	4. 4

Time scale:   
nanosecond=second   
microsecond=minute   
millisecond=hour   
cycle=day   
second=week   
minute=month   
hour=year 

Everyone was gathered in the hanger, waiting to see Mouse and Ray off. Mouse had finished reprogramming the defenses a few cycles ago, and they'd then proceeded to shut down the 'Net ports. 

"You two be careful out there," Dot said, giving Mouse a quick hug. "And if you start running into trouble head right back. I don't want you two trying anything heroic." 

"Don't you worry, hun. Ray an' Ah can take care of ourselves. We'll contact ya as soon as we get some news." 

"Make sure you do. And good luck, Mouse." 

Everyone said their brief good-byes and stood in the hangar watching as the ship headed out of the principal office and opened a portal to the web. 

---- 

Dot and Bob were in her office, Dot looking over system reports, Bob lounging in one of the extra chairs. There hadn't been much for him to do around Mainframe since the restart. Matrix and AndrAIa pretty much had the games under control (though he did join in more often than not) and Dot and Phong had the running of the system itself under wraps. He was, however, beginning to get a bit bored. He stood up and walked over to Dot's desk, snatching up the container of paper clips and sitting down in the middle of the floor with them. Dot cast him a curious look, but went back to working on her reports. He was quiet for several micros as he worked steadily on hooking all of the paper clips together to form a long chain. When it was completed, he stood up and held the chain in his hands. He rattled it for a moment, then carried the chain over to Dot and lovingly draped it over her shoulders. 

"Note to self: boredom and Guardians do not mix," Dot commented, not glancing up from her work. "I'm sorry Bob. I'll be done soon, I promise." 

Ten micros later, when the third paper airplane in a row bounced off her forehead, she closed down her reports and looked up at her lover. "Okay, Bob. What do you want?" 

He grinned. "To be around you. Is that so bad?" 

"When 'being around me' consists of trying to drive me random, yes," she replied, standing and stretching muscles tired from sitting for so long. "But I love you anyway," she continued, walking over and kissing him soundly. "Now, is there a _reason_ you decided to grace me with your presence?" 

He shruged. "No, not really. Enzo's at school, Matrix and AndrAIa are off someplace together...besides, I thought you wanted to spend time with me," he finished, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes. 

Dot gazed at him lovingly. "Of course I do, Bob. User, I never want to let you go again." 

"You won't have to. I promised, remeber?" 

"Oh, Bob," she sighed. "I might have to. Daemon is still out there and..." 

He shook his head. "Don't even say it. I spent too long trying to get home to you to let that supervirus tear us apart again. I'm never going to leave you." 

'Never say never' she wanted to say, but didn't. His normaly light-hearted gaze was shadowed by some hidden pain that made her heart ache at the sight of it. Instead, she leaned her head against his chest and smiled as he wraped his arms around her waist. "Why did we wast so much time dancing around our feelings?" She asked softly, "It's so much better this way." 

He smiled down at her softly. "It is, isn't it? Sometimes I regret all the time we wasted..." 

"I don't think it was wasted," she said as she snuggled closer. "Not at all." She stood there, wrapped in his arms, letting the realness of it all sink in. "Not that I want to go back to being just friends, mind you." 

"I wouldn't dream of it." He loosed one hand from around her waist and used it to tip her chin up so that she was looking him in the eye. "I love you, Dot." 

She smiled radiantly. "I love you too." 

---- 

At the end of the minute, a communication came into the principal office. It was heavily encrypted and bounced through several systems, obviously Mouse's work. The message itself was poor quality, static often interrupting the image of Mouse's face, but her words were clear enough and what she had to say cast a pall upon all those assembled. 

"Daemon's more wide-spread than we thought," the accented voice drawled over sounds of fighting in the distance. "She musta stepped up her efforts these last few minutes while we were all distracted with sortin' out the restart. Most of the systems we've run across are either in her direct control or are close t' falling under her control." 

"This is bad," Bob murmured. "Can you and Ray make it back to Mainframe?" 

"Ah wouldn't want t' risk it, sugah. Daemon doesn't have much of the way of forces out patrollin' the web, but Ah think the longer we keep her from findin' out Mainframe's web address the better. Ah hate t' be the one t' tell ya this Bob, but it looks like we're gonna have t' take this battle straight t' Daemon herself." 

Bob nodded reluctantly. "Is there someplace safe you can go?" 

"Ah suppose we could try and find ourselves a system not connected t' the 'Net," she said, then frowned. "But if we did that, we'd have no way of getting you a message. Communications don't travel well in the web, after all." 

"Mouse, I think I've got an idea," Matrix spoke up for the first time since the conversation had begun. "There's a system AndrAIa and I came across when we were game hopping, called Turing. We ended up staying there for quite awhile. The Command.Com is a friend of ours, he'll trust you if you tell him we sent you. If you go there, we can join you as soon as we can make some sort of preparations to fight Daemon. Besides, if what you said about Daemon stepping up her invasion efforts is true, they might be needing your help." 

Mouse nodded, and decided against asking him to clarify his last cryptic remark. "Sounds like a solid plan t' me, hun. Okay, so how long y' think it's gonna take for you folks t' be ready t' take on Daemon?" 

This time, Dot spoke up. "We've already got something in the works," she said, ignoring the surprised looks from her companions. "It should be ready to go in another three seconds or so. Do you think you can hold out that long?" 

"No problem," the hacker replied. There was a loud noise in the background, and the communication flickered. Mouse glanced away from the screen and then back again. "Look, Ah got t' go. If Ray an' I don't get outa here now, we ain't gonna get out. Ah'll see you folks in a few seconds." 

"Take care, Mouse." 

The connection flicked again, and then went out. 

Bob leaned back against the console and sighed, a pained look on his face. "This is not good, people." He glanced over at Dot. "Care to let us in on what you've been working on?" 

"When you, Matrix and AndrAIa told me about the threat Daemon was posing to the 'Net, I realized we were probably going to have to act against her at some point. As soon as I realized this, I went to talk to Gavin. We both decided that rebuilding the Mare, with some improvements, would be a wise precaution." 

"You rebuilt the Saucy Mare?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Construction is only half way done. But now that we know we need her, we can step up the pace to meet the deadline." 

Bob nodded his approval. "That was good thinking Dot. I know I should have been planing for this..." he said forlornly. "I'm a Guardian after all. I should have.." 

"Bob, you went through a lot," Dot cut him off, walking over to were he stood against the controls and took his hand in her own. "You deserved a break from all this. And as you can see, I had it covered." 

"But-" 

She pressed a finger against his lips and spoke softly, so that only he could hear. "We'll talk about this later, I promise. Just let it go for now." 

He nodded silently, but she could still see the guilt lurking in his beautiful brown eyes. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and turned back to the group. "Matrix, we're going to need someone to look over the construction of the weapons system. Feel up to the task?" 

Matrix smirked. "I think I can handle it, Sis." 

"Good," she replied. She then glanced over at her brother's girlfriend -wife- she corrected herself, and spoke again. "Mouse left us the schematics for the web armor she created for Ship, but it will need to be adapted for use on the Mare. Bob told me about some of the work you did on the original Mare when you were trying to get past Mouse's defenses, and I can't think of anyone better suited to the job. Would you be willing to take on this job?" 

AndrAIa beamed at her sister-in-law. "I'd love to." 

"Wonderful." An impish smile crossed her face. "Of course, I'll add you both to the Principal Office's pay roll, as you'll be working for us now." 

Matrix chuckled. "Whatever you say, boss." 

"Well, I guess that concludes our briefing. Matrix, AndrAIa, I'll meet you back here at 0900 tomorrow." 

The pair nodded and departed hand in hand. Dot sighed, glad that the difficult meeting was over. She understood just how much everyone wished they didn't have to do this, but it appeared they had no choice. 

Phong, who had remained silent throughout the entire conference, now approached the place where the Command.Com and the Guardian stood. 

"My child," he said, addressing Dot, "you have once again proven to be a most excellent commander for this system." 

"Thank you, Phong," Dot said with a weary smile. "I only wish we didn't have to do this." 

"I believe we all feel that way. However, Daemon must be stopped." 

"I know, Phong. I just wish there were some other way. Well, I'm sure we'll pull through somehow. We always do." 

"Indeed. Let us pray it is so." With that, he too departed, leaving Bob and Dot alone in the control room.   
Noticing the troubled look on Dot's face, Bob reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and sighed. 

"Why is it we're always the ones who end up having to save the cycle?" She asked. 

"Just our luck, I guess," Bob replied in a subdued tone. He was just as upset over the turn of events as she was, but he could tell she was in need of comforting so he shoved his own uncertainties away to be dealt with at a later time. 

"Well, it's someone else's turn," she muttered. 

He kissed her forehead, trying to smooth away the crease the pained expression on her face had created. "If only it worked that way," he sighed. "It's best if we try not to think about it more than necessary. If we let it consume us and take away the happiness we've found, we might as well do nothing. Daemon will have already won." 

"You're right," she replied, staring up into his face. Her eyes blazed with determination. "I'm not going to let that viral witch control me." 

Bob gave her a lop-sided smile. "That's more like the Dot Matrix I know," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "Now, what do you say we go back to the Diner and grab something to eat. After that..." he shrugged. "Well, I'm sure we can find _something_ to do with ourselves." 

---- 

"Well, all in all, this turned out to be a pretty good cycle," Dot commented, brushing a stray lock of hair from Bob's forehead as she lay beside him in her bed. 

"Given the way it started, anyway," he replied. After they'd left the Principal Office, they'd gone back to the Diner to eat and had then decided just to cruise around they system in Bob's car which was now running reliably, mostly due to the fact that he'd finally given in and let AndrAIa fix it for him. After a quick stop back at Dot's place to check on Enzo, they caught a late movie. By the time they'd returned, Enzo had put himself to bed. Seeing the distant look on Dot's face, Bob reached out and pulled her closer. "What're you thinking about?" He asked. 

"Huh? Enzo, actually. I was just wondering what he thinks about us being together now. I never thought to ask him, but I probably should. I mean, this changes things..." 

"Oh, I think he's pretty happy about it," Bob replied. 

"How can you tell?" She asked, slightly puzzled. 

Bob chuckled. "Easy. When I picked him up from school the other cycle, he asked me if we were going to get married now." 

Dot laughed. "What did you tell him?" 

"I said it was a _little_ soon for that. But I also told him I didn't plan on going anywhere, either." 

"That was awfully sweet of you," she turned and kissed him softly. "Despite what I may have said in the past, you're really a good influence on him. Growing up without parents can't have been easy for him. It's wonderful of you to spend so much time with him." 

"Let's just say I know where he's coming from," Bob said softly. 

"Bob?" Dot asked, her voice suddenly filled with concern. His last statement had been so sorrowful she couldn't help but wonder what was behind it. "I know you don't like to talk about your past, but if there's something you'd like to share, I'm here for you." 

"There isn't really much to say," he frowned. "I grew up in the Supercomputer. When I was a couple of hours younger than Enzo is now, my parents left." 

"Wait....left? You mean they _abandoned_ you?" She asked, unsure if she was understanding what he was saying. 

"Yes. They just...left. I never knew why. All I can guess is that they didn't want me around any more. They'd never been particularly loving." In the dim light of the bedroom, Dot could see the pain on his face, and it tore her heart in two. He looked so lost.  
"I learned how to survive on my own. The Supercomputer is a big place. There are plenty of kids who've been abandoned, orphaned, or who've run away. That was when I first met Mouse. She was a runaway, she'd snuck onto a transport from her home system and ended up in the Supercomputer. She was a good hacker, even then. We managed to survive. Eventually, I ran into Turbo, just an instructor at the Academy in those cycles, and he managed to get me into the academy. The rest you pretty much know." 

"Oh, Bob," Dot sighed, snuggling closer. "I had no idea. I mean, I lost both my parents when I was still a teenager, but at least I know they loved me." 

"Sometimes, I find myself wondering what would have happened had they stayed. But in retrospect, I'm almost grateful they didn't. I would never trade the suffering I knew back then if it meant that I'd lose what I have now." 

Dot said nothing, just wrapped her arms around him and held him close, wishing fervently she could take even a fraction of the suffering he must have faced away from him. And yet, as heart-breaking as his words had been, they made him all the more precious because he'd faced all that and had somehow managed to survive with his good nature intact. 

Bob closed his eyes, his arms around Dot's shoulders, trying to force away tears. Tears of both pain and happiness. He couldn't forget his past, all that had happened. There was a deeply buried part of himself that had never healed from that, a part that screamed out in anguish to this very cycle, but the rest of him was filled with such joy over what he had now that he could be content to lay here with her in his arms. 

End Part Four 

Continue... 

Back


	5. 5

Time scale:   
nanosecond=second   
microsecond=minute   
millisecond=hour   
cycle=day   
second=week   
minute=month   
hour=year 

Everyone was gathered in the hanger, waiting to see Mouse and Ray off. Mouse had finished reprogramming the defenses a few cycles ago, and they'd then proceeded to shut down the 'Net ports. 

"You two be careful out there," Dot said, giving Mouse a quick hug. "And if you start running into trouble head right back. I don't want you two trying anything heroic." 

"Don't you worry, hun. Ray an' Ah can take care of ourselves. We'll contact ya as soon as we get some news." 

"Make sure you do. And good luck, Mouse." 

Everyone said their brief good-byes and stood in the hangar watching as the ship headed out of the principal office and opened a portal to the web. 

---- 

Dot and Bob were in her office, Dot looking over system reports, Bob lounging in one of the extra chairs. There hadn't been much for him to do around Mainframe since the restart. Matrix and AndrAIa pretty much had the games under control (though he did join in more often than not) and Dot and Phong had the running of the system itself under wraps. He was, however, beginning to get a bit bored. He stood up and walked over to Dot's desk, snatching up the container of paper clips and sitting down in the middle of the floor with them. Dot cast him a curious look, but went back to working on her reports. He was quiet for several micros as he worked steadily on hooking all of the paper clips together to form a long chain. When it was completed, he stood up and held the chain in his hands. He rattled it for a moment, then carried the chain over to Dot and lovingly draped it over her shoulders. 

"Note to self: boredom and Guardians do not mix," Dot commented, not glancing up from her work. "I'm sorry Bob. I'll be done soon, I promise." 

Ten micros later, when the third paper airplane in a row bounced off her forehead, she closed down her reports and looked up at her lover. "Okay, Bob. What do you want?" 

He grinned. "To be around you. Is that so bad?" 

"When 'being around me' consists of trying to drive me random, yes," she replied, standing and stretching muscles tired from sitting for so long. "But I love you anyway," she continued, walking over and kissing him soundly. "Now, is there a _reason_ you decided to grace me with your presence?" 

He shruged. "No, not really. Enzo's at school, Matrix and AndrAIa are off someplace together...besides, I thought you wanted to spend time with me," he finished, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes. 

Dot gazed at him lovingly. "Of course I do, Bob. User, I never want to let you go again." 

"You won't have to. I promised, remeber?" 

"Oh, Bob," she sighed. "I might have to. Daemon is still out there and..." 

He shook his head. "Don't even say it. I spent too long trying to get home to you to let that supervirus tear us apart again. I'm never going to leave you." 

'Never say never' she wanted to say, but didn't. His normaly light-hearted gaze was shadowed by some hidden pain that made her heart ache at the sight of it. Instead, she leaned her head against his chest and smiled as he wraped his arms around her waist. "Why did we wast so much time dancing around our feelings?" She asked softly, "It's so much better this way." 

He smiled down at her softly. "It is, isn't it? Sometimes I regret all the time we wasted..." 

"I don't think it was wasted," she said as she snuggled closer. "Not at all." She stood there, wrapped in his arms, letting the realness of it all sink in. "Not that I want to go back to being just friends, mind you." 

"I wouldn't dream of it." He loosed one hand from around her waist and used it to tip her chin up so that she was looking him in the eye. "I love you, Dot." 

She smiled radiantly. "I love you too." 

---- 

At the end of the minute, a communication came into the principal office. It was heavily encrypted and bounced through several systems, obviously Mouse's work. The message itself was poor quality, static often interrupting the image of Mouse's face, but her words were clear enough and what she had to say cast a pall upon all those assembled. 

"Daemon's more wide-spread than we thought," the accented voice drawled over sounds of fighting in the distance. "She musta stepped up her efforts these last few minutes while we were all distracted with sortin' out the restart. Most of the systems we've run across are either in her direct control or are close t' falling under her control." 

"This is bad," Bob murmured. "Can you and Ray make it back to Mainframe?" 

"Ah wouldn't want t' risk it, sugah. Daemon doesn't have much of the way of forces out patrollin' the web, but Ah think the longer we keep her from findin' out Mainframe's web address the better. Ah hate t' be the one t' tell ya this Bob, but it looks like we're gonna have t' take this battle straight t' Daemon herself." 

Bob nodded reluctantly. "Is there someplace safe you can go?" 

"Ah suppose we could try and find ourselves a system not connected t' the 'Net," she said, then frowned. "But if we did that, we'd have no way of getting you a message. Communications don't travel well in the web, after all." 

"Mouse, I think I've got an idea," Matrix spoke up for the first time since the conversation had begun. "There's a system AndrAIa and I came across when we were game hopping, called Turing. We ended up staying there for quite awhile. The Command.Com is a friend of ours, he'll trust you if you tell him we sent you. If you go there, we can join you as soon as we can make some sort of preparations to fight Daemon. Besides, if what you said about Daemon stepping up her invasion efforts is true, they might be needing your help." 

Mouse nodded, and decided against asking him to clarify his last cryptic remark. "Sounds like a solid plan t' me, hun. Okay, so how long y' think it's gonna take for you folks t' be ready t' take on Daemon?" 

This time, Dot spoke up. "We've already got something in the works," she said, ignoring the surprised looks from her companions. "It should be ready to go in another three seconds or so. Do you think you can hold out that long?" 

"No problem," the hacker replied. There was a loud noise in the background, and the communication flickered. Mouse glanced away from the screen and then back again. "Look, Ah got t' go. If Ray an' I don't get outa here now, we ain't gonna get out. Ah'll see you folks in a few seconds." 

"Take care, Mouse." 

The connection flicked again, and then went out. 

Bob leaned back against the console and sighed, a pained look on his face. "This is not good, people." He glanced over at Dot. "Care to let us in on what you've been working on?" 

"When you, Matrix and AndrAIa told me about the threat Daemon was posing to the 'Net, I realized we were probably going to have to act against her at some point. As soon as I realized this, I went to talk to Gavin. We both decided that rebuilding the Mare, with some improvements, would be a wise precaution." 

"You rebuilt the Saucy Mare?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Construction is only half way done. But now that we know we need her, we can step up the pace to meet the deadline." 

Bob nodded his approval. "That was good thinking Dot. I know I should have been planing for this..." he said forlornly. "I'm a Guardian after all. I should have.." 

"Bob, you went through a lot," Dot cut him off, walking over to were he stood against the controls and took his hand in her own. "You deserved a break from all this. And as you can see, I had it covered." 

"But-" 

She pressed a finger against his lips and spoke softly, so that only he could hear. "We'll talk about this later, I promise. Just let it go for now." 

He nodded silently, but she could still see the guilt lurking in his beautiful brown eyes. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and turned back to the group. "Matrix, we're going to need someone to look over the construction of the weapons system. Feel up to the task?" 

Matrix smirked. "I think I can handle it, Sis." 

"Good," she replied. She then glanced over at her brother's girlfriend -wife- she corrected herself, and spoke again. "Mouse left us the schematics for the web armor she created for Ship, but it will need to be adapted for use on the Mare. Bob told me about some of the work you did on the original Mare when you were trying to get past Mouse's defenses, and I can't think of anyone better suited to the job. Would you be willing to take on this job?" 

AndrAIa beamed at her sister-in-law. "I'd love to." 

"Wonderful." An impish smile crossed her face. "Of course, I'll add you both to the Principal Office's pay roll, as you'll be working for us now." 

Matrix chuckled. "Whatever you say, boss." 

"Well, I guess that concludes our briefing. Matrix, AndrAIa, I'll meet you back here at 0900 tomorrow." 

The pair nodded and departed hand in hand. Dot sighed, glad that the difficult meeting was over. She understood just how much everyone wished they didn't have to do this, but it appeared they had no choice. 

Phong, who had remained silent throughout the entire conference, now approached the place where the Command.Com and the Guardian stood. 

"My child," he said, addressing Dot, "you have once again proven to be a most excellent commander for this system." 

"Thank you, Phong," Dot said with a weary smile. "I only wish we didn't have to do this." 

"I believe we all feel that way. However, Daemon must be stopped." 

"I know, Phong. I just wish there were some other way. Well, I'm sure we'll pull through somehow. We always do." 

"Indeed. Let us pray it is so." With that, he too departed, leaving Bob and Dot alone in the control room.   
Noticing the troubled look on Dot's face, Bob reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and sighed. 

"Why is it we're always the ones who end up having to save the cycle?" She asked. 

"Just our luck, I guess," Bob replied in a subdued tone. He was just as upset over the turn of events as she was, but he could tell she was in need of comforting so he shoved his own uncertainties away to be dealt with at a later time. 

"Well, it's someone else's turn," she muttered. 

He kissed her forehead, trying to smooth away the crease the pained expression on her face had created. "If only it worked that way," he sighed. "It's best if we try not to think about it more than necessary. If we let it consume us and take away the happiness we've found, we might as well do nothing. Daemon will have already won." 

"You're right," she replied, staring up into his face. Her eyes blazed with determination. "I'm not going to let that viral witch control me." 

Bob gave her a lop-sided smile. "That's more like the Dot Matrix I know," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "Now, what do you say we go back to the Diner and grab something to eat. After that..." he shrugged. "Well, I'm sure we can find _something_ to do with ourselves." 

---- 

"Well, all in all, this turned out to be a pretty good cycle," Dot commented, brushing a stray lock of hair from Bob's forehead as she lay beside him in her bed. 

"Given the way it started, anyway," he replied. After they'd left the Principal Office, they'd gone back to the Diner to eat and had then decided just to cruise around they system in Bob's car which was now running reliably, mostly due to the fact that he'd finally given in and let AndrAIa fix it for him. After a quick stop back at Dot's place to check on Enzo, they caught a late movie. By the time they'd returned, Enzo had put himself to bed. Seeing the distant look on Dot's face, Bob reached out and pulled her closer. "What're you thinking about?" He asked. 

"Huh? Enzo, actually. I was just wondering what he thinks about us being together now. I never thought to ask him, but I probably should. I mean, this changes things..." 

"Oh, I think he's pretty happy about it," Bob replied. 

"How can you tell?" She asked, slightly puzzled. 

Bob chuckled. "Easy. When I picked him up from school the other cycle, he asked me if we were going to get married now." 

Dot laughed. "What did you tell him?" 

"I said it was a _little_ soon for that. But I also told him I didn't plan on going anywhere, either." 

"That was awfully sweet of you," she turned and kissed him softly. "Despite what I may have said in the past, you're really a good influence on him. Growing up without parents can't have been easy for him. It's wonderful of you to spend so much time with him." 

"Let's just say I know where he's coming from," Bob said softly. 

"Bob?" Dot asked, her voice suddenly filled with concern. His last statement had been so sorrowful she couldn't help but wonder what was behind it. "I know you don't like to talk about your past, but if there's something you'd like to share, I'm here for you." 

"There isn't really much to say," he frowned. "I grew up in the Supercomputer. When I was a couple of hours younger than Enzo is now, my parents left." 

"Wait....left? You mean they _abandoned_ you?" She asked, unsure if she was understanding what he was saying. 

"Yes. They just...left. I never knew why. All I can guess is that they didn't want me around any more. They'd never been particularly loving." In the dim light of the bedroom, Dot could see the pain on his face, and it tore her heart in two. He looked so lost.   
"I learned how to survive on my own. The Supercomputer is a big place. There are plenty of kids who've been abandoned, orphaned, or who've run away. That was when I first met Mouse. She was a runaway, she'd snuck onto a transport from her home system and ended up in the Supercomputer. She was a good hacker, even then. We managed to survive. Eventually, I ran into Turbo, just an instructor at the Academy in those cycles, and he managed to get me into the academy. The rest you pretty much know." 

"Oh, Bob," Dot sighed, snuggling closer. "I had no idea. I mean, I lost both my parents when I was still a teenager, but at least I know they loved me." 

"Sometimes, I find myself wondering what would have happened had they stayed. But in retrospect, I'm almost grateful they didn't. I would never trade the suffering I knew back then if it meant that I'd lose what I have now." 

Dot said nothing, just wrapped her arms around him and held him close, wishing fervently she could take even a fraction of the suffering he must have faced away from him. And yet, as heart-breaking as his words had been, they made him all the more precious because he'd faced all that and had somehow managed to survive with his good nature intact. 

Bob closed his eyes, his arms around Dot's shoulders, trying to force away tears. Tears of both pain and happiness. He couldn't forget his past, all that had happened. There was a deeply buried part of himself that had never healed from that, a part that screamed out in anguish to this very cycle, but the rest of him was filled with such joy over what he had now that he could be content to lay here with her in his arms. 

End Part Five 

Continue... 

Back 


	6. 6

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

_Mouse flinched as she heard heavy boots on the kitchen floor. She huddled close to her headboard, hoping against hope that for once he wouldn't be angry at her. That he'd just leave her alone... _

_"Girl?" He bellowed. "Girl, where'd y' get to? This kitchen is a mess. Ah told ya Ah wanted this house clean!" _

_Mouse cringed again, wishing she could make herself invisible. She'd spent the entire cycle cleaning, trying to make the place spotless, but no matter how hard she tried, her stepfather always managed to find some fault with her work. She could hear him coming down the hallway now and half-faded bruises throbbed in anticipation of the beating she was surely about to receive. She prayed beating was the only thing he did... _

_"There you are," he sneered, wrenching open the door to her room. "Tryin' t' hide, Girl?" He never called her by her name unless her mother was around. And her mother wouldn't be home until almost three in the morning. She was trapped. _

_"Ah'm sorry. Ah tried t' get the house clean like ya wanted..." She choked back a cry as he slapped her across the face. _

_"Don't give me that, Girl. You think you can sit around here all day doin' nothing, expecting t' be treated like some sort of princess instead of doin' what your daddy tells ya?" _

_"You're not mah daddy!" She yelled defiantly, instantly regretting it as his fist connected with her face. _

_"Quite a mouth ya got on you, Girl. Ah'm gonna have t' break you of that habit." He had her pinned up against the headboard now, and Mouse could feel hot tears spill down her face 'Please...' she thought. 'Not again...' She could live with the cuts and bruises, but not this. "Please no," she said, tasting blood from her split lip. "No..."_

"No..." Mouse sat up in the darkness of ship's cabin, gasping for breath. 

"You all right, luv?" 

"Yeah, sugah. Ah'm fine." 

"Y' don't look fine," Ray said, reaching over and touching the side of her face. She flinched away involuntarily. The dream was still too fresh in her mind. She saw the hurt look on his face and wanted so badly to explain, but she just couldn't. He withdrew his hand. "All right, Luv, if you say so." 

She lowered her gaze, unable to look at him. "Ah'm sorry, Ray." 

"No, it's okay. Look, if something's troublin' you..." 

"Ah'd love t' tell ya, Ray. Ah really would. It'd probably make it easier t' deal with. But Ah can't." She stood up, wrapping the sheet from the bunk around her and walked from the rear cabin to the cockpit, staring out at the swirling patterns of the web muted by the shielding that covered Ship's hull. Ray stood behind her, saying nothing.  
The destruction they'd witnessed as a result of Daemon's bid for power had dredged up dark memories for him, and he had no doubt it'd done the same for his lover. He wanted to say something to her, convince her it would be all right, but he couldn't. He didn't think his own lingering feelings of dread would let him sound sincere. He'd now seen first hand what Daemon was capable of and he had to wonder if any of them were going to make it through this alive. 

----

The tear filled the cabin with a dim, pulsating light, despite the shielding that covered the canopy. "This is it, sugah. Turing System. Let's hope these folks are as friendly as Matrix seems to think they'll be." She engaged the portal generator and the tear was transformed into a shimmering portal. 

  
  


"Sir, we've got something on the long range scanners...over the energy sea and heading toward the city. It's a--It's a ship." Circuit gave Dennis, Turing's Command.Com a puzzled look. 

"A ship? That's impossible...put it on the view screen." 

"I recognize that type of shielding, " Perl commented from her workstation. "That ship came from the web." She stood from her chair and walked to Dennis' side. 

"Okay, that explains _where_ it came from, but not what it's doing here. Perl, take a few CPUs to find out what they want. If they're just looking for help, we don't want to scare them off. I'll keep the rest of the force on alert in case you run into trouble." 

"I'm sure I can handle them, Love." She gave him a quick kiss and strode out the door. 

  
  


"Look lively, sugah. We got company." Mouse gestured to the display. "Three CPUs. Well, Ah guess that means they're gonna talk to us instead of just blowin' us outta the sky." She lowered the web shielding and then stood up. "What do ya say we go introduce ourselves?" 

  
  


"Ma'am, someone's leaving the ship." 

"I can see that," Perl replied, rolling her eyes. She studied the two figures on the surfboard. "Wait a nano...I think I recognize the woman." She hit a button on the dashboard of the customized CPU and the display enlarged. "Well, I'll be damned...you two hang back. I'm going to go talk to them." She unfastened her seat belt and swung the door of the CPU open. Decompiling her zipboard and tossing it out over the energy sea, she hopped from the CPU onto it and headed toward the two figures on the surfboard. 

  
  


"Looks like they sent out the welcoming committee, luv," Ray commented as he saw the sprite leave the CPU and approach on a zipboard. Mouse stared at the sprite for a moment. 

"Ah think Ah know her," she said. "And now Ah understand what Matrix said about someone here needin' our help." 

The sprite on the zipboard slowed to a stop a few yards away from them. "Well, this is an unexpected surprise," her clear voice rang out over the distance between them. "What're ya doing here, Mouse?" 

"Ah could ask ya the same thing, sugah." 

Perl laughed. "I _live_ here. What's _your_ excuse?" 

"Matrix sent us. Ah think he and AndrAIa are friends of yours?" 

Perl cocked her head to the side and observed the other woman for a moment. "Funny, he never mentioned you. Ah well, come on back to the Principal Office. We can sort this all out once we get there." She reached down to her belt and retrieved what looked like a small organizer. After punching in some sort of command, the empty CPU roared to life and pulled up next to her. She climbed inside and steered the car back off in the direction of the Principal Office. Mouse and Ray returned to Ship and followed close behind. 

---- 

Perl leaned back in her chair, an unreadable expression on her face. "This Daemon has infected the entire Collective?" 

"Far as we can tell. Turbo told Matrix he and Bob were the only clean ones left. Ah assumed that meant she'd gotten you too." 

"Turing's been without ports to the 'Net for almost three hours now. No one, except for Matrix and AndrAIa, have entered or left the system since then. It's unlikely Daemon _could_ have found her," Dennis said. 

Mouse shook her head. "Daemon is in control of the Collective. That means she knows which Guardians have been assigned to which systems. Even if she can't get here through the 'Net, she must know Perl's stationed here." 

"Perl wasn't--" 

"Well," Perl interrupted, giving her S.O. a silencing glance, "We're lucky you found us before Daemon did. I doubt we could have held off an attack by the Guardians." 

"Yeah," Mouse narrowed her eyes slightly at Perl. "Listen, you have any idea _why_ Turbo wouldn't have told Matrix Daemon didn't have you?" 

"Matrix knew I wasn't infected," she countered. 

"But Turbo didn't know he knew." 

Perl leaned across the table. "I don't claim to know what Turbo is thinking. Maybe it slipped his mind." Her tone left no room for further debate. "Now then. It's clear that something has to be done about Daemon. I assume there's some sort of plan?" 

---- 

When the meeting ended, Dennis led Mouse and Ray on a quick tour of the city and then showed them to some temporary quarters, despite Mouse's objections that she'd rather stay in Ship's cabin. 

"Look, no one is sleeping in the hanger while they're in my system," the Command.Com had said. "Besides, I don't get many chances to be hospitable. Have some sympathy for me, okay?" 

Now Mouse found herself wandering the corridors of the principal office. She kept replaying the conference over in her mind. Something about Perl's reaction just wasn't sitting right with her. Granted, the last time Mouse had talked with Perl, the girl had been an hour away from graduating the academy. That was just before she'd left the supercomputer in search of greener pastures for her hacking skills. Perl had been a good cadet, despite her somewhat reckless passion for hacking. It was that shared interest that had brought them into the same circle of acquaintances. 

"How long you planin' on stalking me, Mouse?" Perl was leaning against a grey paneled wall half way down the corridor. 

"Ah wasn't following' ya, sugah." 

"No, you were just waiting to catch me alone." She narrowed her eyes at the hacker. "Why?" 

Mouse approached her, not saying anything, but instead silently taking stock of the other woman. She looked almost the same, though she noted that Perl's eyes had lost the soft innocence she'd envied back when they'd known each other in the Supercomputer. Perl's voice still held a lingering lit of the accent Mouse remembered her trying so hard to lose. 

_"There's nothin' wrong with the way we talk,' sugah." _

_"Maybe Ah... Maybe _I_ don't want to sound like a farm girl!"_

Mouse shook away the snatch of remembered conversation. 

"Well?" Perl asked, irritation plain in her voice. 

"All right. Maybe Ah was trying' t' catch you alone. But only 'cause Ah want t' talk to ya." 

Perl glanced down at the floor, brushing her dark hair back behind her ear. "So talk." 

Mouse sighed, leaning against the wall behind her. "Hun, we go back a long ways, and though Ah admit Ah really got no right t' judge ya, Ah'd like t' know what's going on." 

"This is basic," Perl muttered under her breath. "You're making me feel like I'm 1.6 again." 

"Didn't mean to. But like Ah said, Ah want answers. That bit about Turbo forgotten' t' tell Matrix you were clean was a load of spam and you know it. Was he trying to protect ya?" 

Perl laughed, but it was a humorless sound. "He'd better not be. That's what got me into this whole mess in the first place," she said bitterly. 

"Ah don't think Ah'm followin' here," Mouse said. "Ah mean, I heard a rumor that you got into some trouble at the Academy not long after Ah left the Supercomputer..." 

"Some trouble," Perl scoffed. "Some trouble would've been hacking into the Collective's database and changing a few exam scores. This was much more than 'some trouble.'" Perl's expression was dark. 

"What happened, then?" 

"You remember Jake?" Perl asked, not meeting Mouse's eyes. 

"Yeah, sure Ah do. Your training partner." 

"Well, the trouble was, I killed him." 

Mouse gaped at her, and Perl continued. "I didn't murder him," she said, "Not like you're thinking anyway. Jake was my friend. He just placed too much faith in my abilities." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. 

"An accident, then?" 

Perl shrugged, looking tired. "You could call it that. Though it would have never happened if I hadn't' gone messing with things I had no right messing with," she said. "The short of it is, I hacked into one of the game simulators to take the safeties off line. Jake and I wanted a _real_ challenge. But then Jake got into trouble and the over-ride I'd programmed failed. I couldn't turn the safeties back on or terminate the program and it cost Jake his life.  
They shoulda kicked me from the Academy then and there. Somehow, Turbo convinced the rest of the board to let me graduate with my class. They ruled Jake's death an accident. An accident! I killed my best friend and they wanted to write it off as a mistake. It was as if Jake's death wasn't worth a second thought. I asked Turbo to dismiss me. I pleaded with him actually, but he refused." She swallowed. "He said something about how I'd appreciate what he was doing in the future... I don't remember really. I was pretty messed up. But I was also angry. I hated myself for what I'd done, and I hated Turbo for acting like it didn't matter. So I left, and I never looked back." 

"So you're not a real Guardian." 

"Only a cadet. Version 6.0." 

"That's what Dennis was going to say when you cut him off. Daemon hasn't found you because she doesn't know where to look. Turbo doesn't even know, does he?" 

Perl shook her head. "I'd be surprised if he did. When I left the Academy, I feel back on my hacking to make ends meet. Never stayed in one place for very long. Then I ended up here one cycle after my ship was damaged by an employer who didn't appreciate the work I'd done for him. Turing was being destroyed by viruses..." 

"And y' couldn't fight your programming." 

Perl nodded. "Then the 'Net ports were destroyed and I was trapped here." 

"Trapped, sugah?" Mouse smirked. "That Command.Com sure don't look like he's holdin' ya captive." 

"You're one to talk, or is that Web Surfer just your errand boy?" She asked sarcastically. 

Mouse shook her head and laughed. "Good t' see ya still got your sense of humor. Look, Ah'm sorry for what happened to ya, Ah really am. I always hopped you'd go on an lead a nice normal life. Y' didn't deserve what ya got." 

"None of us deserve the kind of twists fate hands us, Mouse. We've just got to learn to deal with it, I guess. Easier said than done, though." Her voice had lost the brief bit of mirth it had had a moment before. 

"Don't Ah know it, Perl." She replied softly, echoes of the nightmare she'd had a few cycle before replaying in her mind. "Don't Ah know it." 

---- 

Dennis sighed and ran a hand back through his pale hair as he let himself into the house. A brief glance around the place told him that Perl hadn't even stopped at home. Upon seeing the darkened windows, he'd hoped she'd just been sleeping or stopped in and left again. But he wasn't really surprised. He'd bumped into her in the halls of the P.O. as he dashed around trying to prepare things in the event that some of Daemon's forces showed up. She'd had a dark look in her eyes then, a mix of pain and anger, and he'd suspected it'd come to this. 

He left the house, re-locking the door, and headed over to Perl's apartment in another sector of the city. He knew exactly where she was. She always returned to her small apartment in Backup when the weight of all that had happened to her became too much. 

He paused outside the door and knocked twice with no response before finally using his key and walking inside. He looked around the bare room and sighed. This place held no happy memories for him. The only times he ever came here were when his lover was in pain. It was a sort of system she'd worked out over the hours she'd been here in Turing. His house remained a safe-haven, full of happy memories, and left this place to be infected by her misery. 

She was balled up on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, though by the glimmering on her dark cheeks he suspected she wasn't asleep. He sat down next to her and rested the back of his hand on her cheek. He'd done this too many times, he thought sadly. "Perl?" He said softly. 

"Tell me you'll make this all go away," she replied hoarsely, surprising him. She usually remained silent in times like these. "I know you can't...but tell me, tell me you'll help me forget everything." 

Dennis fought the urge to scream. It wasn't fair to either of them that this happened to her. He wished there were some way to heal her forever, but he also knew that it was something that was unlikely to ever happen. 

His hand was warm on her face, and she concentrated on it, trying to draw some of that heat into herself to ward off the cold that had wrapped its way around her. 

"Everything will be all right," he replied softly. His voice was so kind. How could anyone be that kind toward her after all she'd been? After she'd come here and gotten his sister killed? It didn't make sense to her, and yet, she wouldn't--couldn't make him go. There was something purely magical about his presence, the way he always knew when she was feeling lost and alone, how he could manage to heal her, if only for a little while, with a touch of his hand. A great sigh escaped her and she turned her head so that she could see his face. His eyebrows were drawn in concern as his blue eyes gazed down at her sadly. She reached up and took his hand in her own. "I believe you," she whispered, finding that she really did. 

---- 

"How are things going?" Dot asked her brother as she landed her zipboard on the dock. Before them, the Saucy Mare II was nearing completion. 

"Actually, AndrAIa was just about to test the shields," he replied. "I was going to join her on deck." 

"I'll come with you," she said and followed her brother onto the ship. They found AndrAIa working over the main console. 

"We ready to test this thing?" Matrix asked. 

"Sure thing, lover. Oh, hello Dot." 

"Hey AndrAIa. Don't mind me, I just came to see what kind of progress you've made." 

If you wait a nano, I can show you." She turned back to the control panel and looked over a few final settings "That _should_ do it," she said when she was finished. "Is everybody clear?" 

"Yup, ready when you are." 

"Okay. Cross your fingers," she said and entered a command into the console. A moment later, a bright light enveloped the ship. When it died away, above them, instead of Mainframe's clear blue sky was a vast expanse of dark, scale-like web armor. 

"Way to go, AndrAIa!" Matrix swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms. 

"Enzo," she laughed, "put me down!" 

Dot looked over the impressive armor that had sprung into existence seemingly from thin air. "Good work, AndrAIa. I think Mouse would be impressed." 

"Well, we'll see what she thinks once we get to Turing." Matrix set her down on the deck again. and she walked back to the controls. With a push of a button, the armor vanished again. "Bob still determined to stay here in Mainframe?" She asked. 

"Unfortunately, yes," Dot sighed. "I wish he would reconsider. I appreciate what he's trying to do, but he'd really be much more useful out there fighting Daemon than here with me. But he's bound and determined to keep his promise, and frankly I'm tired of arguing with him. Still, maybe he'll change his mind once you're ready to go. What's the estimated departure time?" 

"Basically, we just have minor stuff left to finish on the Mare. Run final checks on all the systems, load our supplies. We'll probably be finished the middle of next second." 

Dot nodded. "I wish we didn't have to do this," she said. 

"Don't worry, Sis, we can handle this." 

"I certainly hope so. Well, I have to pick Enzo up from school. I'll see you two at the Diner later." She decompressed her zipboard and zipped off in the direction of the school. 

---- 

"This is alphanumeric!" Enzo exclaimed, walking around the deck of the now completed Saucy Mare II. The boy glanced back at his older counterpart. "I guess this means you guys are leaving, huh?" 

"Yeah, kid." Matrix walked over and put one large hand on the boy's shoulder. "Someone's got to stop Daemon before she takes over the entire 'Net." 

"I know," Enzo replied, glancing down at his shoes. "I just wish it didn't have to be you and AndrAIa." He glanced back up at Matrix. "I guess, well, I'm gonna miss you guys and I don't want you to get hurt." 

"Trust me, we don't want to go anymore than you want us to. We just got back to Mainframe. But if we don't go, there won't _be_ a Mainframe." 

"I wish Bob were going with you," Enzo said. "I mean, it's alphanumeric that he's staying, but he's a _Guardian_ and all." 

"Hey," Matrix said indignantly, "What am I? Chopped null?" 

Enzo laughed. "Sorry. But...you guys might need him." 

Matrix sighed. "I wish he were coming too. Maybe Dot will talk him into it. But for now, this is just the way things are," he said. "So, are you going to come stay with AndrAIa and me tonight?" He asked. 

"Yeah," Enzo replied. "Bob's staying over at our place again. I don't like watching him and Dot being all mushy." 

"Hey, I thought you were glad they were spending time together." 

"Doesn't mean I want to _watch_ them." The boy wrinkled his nose in disgust and Matrix laughed aloud at the expression. 

"Don't tell Dot I said that," Enzo said. 

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." 

---- 

"They'll be leaving tomorrow, you know," Dot said, setting her cup of Java down on the table. Bob was sprawled across from her in the back booth of the diner. "Having any second thoughts?" 

"Not at all." He reached across the table and took her hand in his own. 

"Well, I am," she said. 

"You--are?" 

"You _should_ be going with them, Bob." 

"I promised you, Dot. I'm not leaving." 

"What good is a promise if Daemon takes over, Bob? What then? They're going to need your help--help you can't give them if you're here with me," she sighed. "Sometimes promises are best broken." 

"You're sure?" She nodded. He frowned, thinking things over. "I guess I'll have to notify the captain he'll have one more passenger." He ran a hand back through his hair. "You're sure about this." 

"Yes." She leaned across the table and kissed him. "As much as I want to keep you to myself, I can't. There's too much at stake." She got up from her seat, keeping her grip on his hand. "You know, Enzo is staying with Matrix and AndrAIa tonight. I thought that might make it easier on him when they left." 

"Meaning we'd have the house to ourselves," Bob replied, noticing the gleam in her eyes. "Say, you didn't plan this, did you?" 

"Me? Plan? Whatever gave you that idea?" 

---- 

Dot lay with her head pillowed on Bob's chest, listening to his heart as its rapid beating slowly returned to normal. "Make sure you come back to me," she murmured. "I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'd manage," he replied, one hand caressing her back. "You always do. That's why I love you so much." 

"You're probably right," she admitted. "Come back anyway. I'd miss you if you got yourself deleted." 

He chuckled. "That's nice to know. I'd miss you too." He shifted position and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'm going to come back. Not even Daemon could keep me from you." 

---- 

She lay still, head resting on his chest again as he slept. She, however, could not get to sleep. She gazed at his face lovingly. He looked so peaceful, as if he wasn't about to embark on a titanic struggle he didn't even know if he could win. She reached up to brush an errant lock of hair from his forehead, and she found her hand hovering over the thin scar that adorned his left cheek. It had taken her awhile to get used to the web degradation on his face, and she'd originally thought that this scar, and its counterpart on the other cheek, as well as the three thin slashes on his forehead were just a part of that degradation. She knew better now. Similar scars adorned his back, shoulders, and upper chest. They were all too symmetrical, too deliberate to be web degradation. Someone had made them on purpose, and the mere thought of that made her ill. Obviously more had happened to him in the web than he'd told her. 

'The Web Riders must have done this,' she thought grimly, one finger tracing a crescent shaped scar on his shoulder. But why? None of the cuts were deep enough to kill. 'But it would have hurt,' she reasoned. Torture? She shuttered and snuggled in closer, not wanting to think of someone deliberately hurting him. "Oh, Bob," she whispered, squeezing her eyes closed, and attempted to get some sleep. 

End Part Six 

Continue...

Back


	7. 7

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

_A small portal materialized on the edge of the system and shimmered there for a moment before a tall, graceful figure emerged from its depths. _

"Turbo?" A yellow skinned female Guardian swung around in her workstation. "We've got an unauthorized system entry in sector 45." 

"Viral intruder or hacker?" The Prime Guardian asked. 

The woman's eyes raked over her readouts. "...unknown, Sir. I can't make heads or tails of these readings." 

"Can you get me a visual?" 

"Negative, Sir..." the Guardian paused, "I've lost the trace." "

Lost?" 

"Yes, Sir. Whatever it was that came through the portal has vanished." 

The Prime Guardian frowned slightly. "Dispatch a team to Sector 45. Ah want this thing located and apprehended. And have someone take a look at those sensors. They could be malfunctioning." 

"Yes, Sir," the Guardian replied, and turned back to her workstation. 

Turbo retired to his office, thoughts troubled. The Collective's technology was the most sophisticated in the 'Net. "Must be a malfunction," he mumbled to himself. He didn't really want to face the possibility that there was something loose in the Supercomputer they could not identify. 

Several micros later, there was a polite knock sounded on the door frame to his office. He glanced up. "News?" 

"The team didn't find anything," the Guardian said. "Whatever it was is gone now. And the sensors are working perfectly." Turbo gave her a curt nod. "Turbo?" 

"Yes?" He asked, hearing the concern in the woman's voice. 

"What do you think it was?" 

"Ah don't know," he replied, "But Ah want extra security in place, just in case." 

"Yes, Sir," she replied and left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

---- 

In the busy streets of the Supercomputer, the tall, dark haired woman earned little notice as she strode single-mindedly toward the Guardian Academy, at the heart of which lay the main base of the Guardian Collective. 

If the citizens of the system had known the evil that was lurking amongst them, they might have given the white skinned woman a second glance. If they'd known that in a few short minutes, she would hold the entire 'Net in the palm of her hand, they might, perhaps, have even tried to stop her. But on this cycle, they simply passed her by as she entered the grounds of the Academy and approached the Collective's central office. 

The extra security that had been instituted proved to be a futile effort. The Guardians who stood in Daemon's path found themselves tossed like rag dolls before her telekinetic fury as she penetrated into the heart of the building. 

There was a flurry of activity in the war room as alarms sounded loudly overhead. "The internal sensors are off line!" Someone shouted. "We can't get a lock on the intruder. Turbo," eyes clouded with fear gave him a desperate glance. "What could possibly be doing this?" 

"Ah don't know," the Prime Guardian returned. "Seal off the war room." 

"But, Sir, we have people elsewhere in the complex..." 

"Ah'm aware of that," he barked, a flicker of regret flashing across his face. "Seal the room off now. Whoever, or whatever this is, we can't risk it gettin' in here too." 

The heavy doors locked into place, sealing off the room with a loud clang. For the space of a few micros, all was deathly silent. Then a low, steady thudding began in the hallway outside the door, a sign that something was trying to get in. The inner doors began to dent inward from the assault. There was a low grinding noise and the shrill shrike of metal rending and the collected Guardians could do nothing but stare in abject horror as the doors were slowly forced apart. 

---- 

There was a bustle of activity around the docks as the Saucy Mare II prepared to set sail. "Bob!" Enzo spotted him from where he was watching the last of the supplies being loaded onto the Mare. 

"Whoa, hello, Enzo," Bob replied after being knocked to the dock by the hyperactive boy. 

"Bob, come to see us off?" Matrix asked, appearing from below the deck of the ship. He leapt over the rail with ease and landed on the dock beside the other two sprites. 

"Actually, I'm coming with you." 

"You are?" Enzo piped up. 

"Dot and I talked it over last night. We decided I'd be more helpful out there with you guys." 

"Glad you changed your mind," Matrix said. "We're going to need all the help we can get out there. Where _is_ Dot, anyway?" 

"She'll be here in a few micros. She wanted to check in at the Principal office before she came here to see us off." 

A moment later, AndrAIa joined them on the dock. "Everything is all packed," she said. 

"Great," Matrix said. "Where's the Captain?" 

"I think he's giving the crew a pep-talk," she laughed. "After our last trip in the web, I think they need a little encouragement." 

"Bob's coming with us," Matrix said. 

"You are? What changed your mind? I thought you were dead-set on staying here." 

Matrix grinned. "Dot changed his mind for him. Didn't she?" 

Bob smiled sheepishly. "Well, your sister can be a very persuasive person when she wants to be." 

"Darn right I can." Dot landed her zipboard beside him. "You guys about ready to go?" 

"Yup," Matrix replied. "The Mare is loaded and ready to go. They're just waiting on us." 

"Well, good luck you guys. And be careful, all right?" 

"We will." Matrix gave his sister a quick hug. 

"And you," she said, turning to Bob, "Make sure you come back to me." 

"I promise." He reached out and gathered her in his arms. "Try not to worry about us too much, okay?" He kissed her softly. "We'll be all right." 

"I'll try," she promised, blinking back tears. She didn't want him to go any more than he wanted to but she knew this was the right thing. 

He released her from his arms and knelt down beside Enzo. "Take care of your sister for me, okay?" He said, giving his cap a spin. 

"I will," Enzo replied. He looked up at the assembled adults, a determined look on his face. "You guys have to come back, all right?" 

"Don't worry, kid." Matrix bent down and gave his younger brother a quick hug. After that, good-byes were quick. 

Dot stood on the dock and watched as the ship moved off, forming a large portal far out to sea. With a flash of light, both ship and portal vanished and she and Enzo were left alone, watching the waves move toward the shore. "Good luck, you guys," she whispered. 

---- 

"Status?" Bob asked as soon as they'd cleared Mainframe and began their voyage through the web. 

"Everything's fine," AndrAIa replied. "Relax, Bob. We've got it covered." 

He nodded. "You're right. I'm going to go below decks." He turned away and headed down the stairs to the cabins below. 

"Wonder what's wrong with him," Matrix said, watching Bob disappear below deck. He walked over and wrapped an arm around AndrAIa's waist. 

"Bad memories, maybe. We don't really know what happened to him out here." 

"You're probably right," Matrix sighed. "It's just that I can't help remembering how he used to be." 

"We've _all_ changed, lover." 

"Still," he replied, "it hardly seems fair." 

"I know, Enzo. But I don't think Daemon is concerned with whether or not things are fair." She gave him a wry smile. "Well, I've got to hunt down Turing's web address or we'll be flying blind. Want to help?" 

"I don't know what help I'd be," he replied. 

"Well, it's better than mopping around here." 

---- 

AndrAIa knocked lightly on the cabin door and after a moment, opened it and stuck her head inside. "Bob?" 

He was sitting on the bunk, head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. He glanced up at the sound of her voice. 

"I've got the navigation done. We'll be in Turing in about two seconds, assuming we don't run into any of Daemon's forces. Thought you might want to know." 

"Thanks," he replied. 

"Look, is something the matter?" 

He shook his head and stood, walking over to the small table that occupied the space near the door, leaning against it with both palms pressed flat on it's top. "No...I was just thinking about how we're going to do this. We know so little about how Daemon operates. I hope Mouse and Ray have found something to help us." 

"I'm sure they have. Those two are nothing if not resourceful." 

He sighed, running his hands back through his hair. "I never asked to be the hero, you know." He was speaking more to himself than he was to her. " I just want a normal life." He glanced over at her. "Do you think that's too much to ask?" 

"You're a Guardian," she began not quite sure what to say to him. "I don't think normalcy is part of the protocols." 

"You're right, you're right. It's just- Cursors!" He slammed his fist down on the tabletop. "Why does it have to be me?" 

She smiled wanly. "Why does it have to be any of us? Just our luck, I guess. We'll get this wrapped up and get back to Mainframe before you know it, Bob." 

"I hope so." He looked away, seemingly studying the cabin wall. "I've got a bad feeling about all of this." 

---- __

The appearance of the intruder would have been almost anti-climatic, had they not known the tall, willowy woman who stood before them. 

"Brenna?" 

A cold smile crossed her face. "Wrong, Guardian. I am no longer called by that name." With a seemingly careless gesture, Daemon swept all but Turbo from their feet, her telepathic abilities simultaneously rendering them unconscious. She turned her eyes, now glowing an eerie yellow instead of pale blue, upon the Prime Guardian. 

"You're viral," Turbo said, realizing too late exactly what he was up against. 

"Yes," she responded. "You may call me Daemon." Her eyes flashed brightly and the last of the Guardians fell as she directed her powers on him as well. 

---- 

He awoke, mind clouded with a haze of pain, unable to move. He was bound to the wall of the war room with thick, pulsating tendrils. He could turn his head just far enough to either side to see that his fellow Guardians were similarly bound, though none save himself were conscious. 

"Hello, Charlie," Daemon said, walking to his side and tipping his head back so that he was looking into her eyes. "I suppose you didn't think you'd see me again." 

"Brenna..." He managed to croak. The tendrils were constricting, limiting his breathing. 

She slapped him hard across the face. "I'm Daemon now," she sneered. "Brenna was a pathetic fool. But then, so were you. You still are." She stepped a few paces back. "Tell me, Charlie," she said using his real name because she knew it would rile him. "Was she worth it? That brazen little hacker of yours? Did you like her better? Was she worth destroying my life?" 

"You destroyed your own life, Brenna. Mah hands were tied." He winced at the unintentional pun. 

"You destroyed me!" She hissed. "I was cast out, humiliated! You were a fool who couldn't see the power he had in his grasp. We could have ruled the 'Net together, Charlie. Instead, you're going to serve me. I hope she was worth it, because now she's going to die. And it will be all your fault." With a final triumphant smile, she turned on her heel and left the room, presumably to check on her other prisoners. 

Turbo struggled once more against his restraints before giving up. His heart sank. She was slowly infecting the entire collective. What was more, she'd probably already taken over the academy as well. If they_ hadn't been able to stop the viral woman, the cadets wouldn't have stood a chance._

---- 

"Enzo, do you ever think we'll have a normal life?" 

"What?" Matrix glanced up from where he was dutifully cleaning his gun, though it had not seen use outside the CPU firing range since Megabyte's downfall. "What do you mean by normal?" 

"I--I guess I don't really know." She frowned slightly, checking over her own weapon to make sure the trident was still in working order. She squeezed the handgrip and it telescoped down so that she could replace it on her belt. "I suppose I mean not rushing head-long into every new crisis that pops up." She stood from the bunk where she'd been sitting and moved to the chair across from him at the small table. 

"Never really gave it much thought," he commented, not looking up. "After Daemon's gone, I guess. What brought this on?" He finished what he was doing and placed Gun in the holster on his thigh. 

"Something Bob said to me not long after we left. He doesn't want to be here, but he came anyway." 

"He'd rather be back in Mainframe with Dot, I know. But Daemon needs to be stopped and he knows that." 

"He also told me he has a bad feeling about all this. You talked to Turbo. What do you think?" 

"I hope Bob's wrong about that, AndrAIa. Because if he's right, User help us all." 

She frowned slightly and reached out for his hand for reassurance. "We survived the games and Megabyte, Sparky. We'll make it through this. And then, we'll go home." 

---- 

"Aw, come on, boy." Enzo coaxed, waving a red Frisbee in front of Frisket. When this proved futile, he flopped down on the grass next to his canine companion. "You're worried about them, aren't you?" The Dog whined, which he took as a yes. "Me too," he replied. "And so's Dot. It's not fair that basic ol' Daemon had to go and ruin things for us." The dog lapped at his face. "Oh sure. _Now_ you want to play." He picked up the Frisbee from the grass and launched it across the park. Frisket bounded off after it, barking. 

"Hey there, little brother." Dot crouched down near where her brother was sitting. "Sorry I couldn't be there to get you from school." 

"Naw, it's okay. I know you've got lots to do, Dot." 

She sighed. "Well, I finished up early. How about we go grab dinner?" She straightened up. 

"Sure." He stood up and brushed grass from his clothes. Frisket trotted over, Frisbee griped in his mouth. "Dot," Enzo asked after they'd began the walk to the diner, "Do you miss Bob?" 

"Of course I do." She fought back the tears that the innocent question threatened to bring to her eyes. "Just like I miss your brother and AndrAIa and the rest of them." 

"But you miss Bob the most, right?" 

"I miss Bob the most," she affirmed, a sad smile crossing her face as her mind conjured up an image of him, visage peaceful in sleep as it had been that last night they'd spent together. 

---- 

"Well, we've been lucky so far. No Guardian ships. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," AndrAIa commented, watching the web fly by them as they cruised towards Turing. 

"It's probably a good thing." Bob said. "Daemon doesn't know we're out here. Matrix said she had her troops after you two almost the instant you entered that system. I don't think she's biding her time." 

"Unless we're too late and they've gotten Perl. She could just be waiting for us," Matrix said. 

Bob shot him a surprised glance. "Perl?" He asked. "Not Perl Script..." 

"Yeah," Matrix replied, puzzled by Bob's reaction. "We mentioned her before, when we told you about Turing." 

"You never mentioned her name." 

"I didn't think it was important. I take it you know her?" 

"Yeah," he said. "She's Turbo's niece." 

---- 

"How are you boys doing?" Perl asked, leaning forward to speak into the intercom on Ship's instrument panel. Beside her, Mouse maneuvered the ship to the next sensor location. 

"So far, so good." Dennis' voice replied. He and Ray were following behind the two women, bringing the new sensors on line after they'd been put into place. 

"Good. We've got three more to install, and then we should be done." She clicked off the com and leaned back in her seat. "So you really think this is necessary?" 

"Yup. Ray an' Ah saw first hand what Daemon was capable of. If we get these sensors rigged, we'll be able to tell if anyone tries to enter the system from the web and stop 'em." 

Beside her, Perl laughed quietly. Mouse glanced over at her. "What?" 

"Looks like my uncle's leadership skills rubbed of on you. You sound like a regular Command.Com or something." 

Mouse colored slightly. "Ah also spent more than an hour helpin' defend Mainframe. 'Sides, Turbo and Ah called it quits when he tried t' blow up Mainframe and me along with it." 

"You said Daemon was controlling him. That she arranged for that web creature," she pointed out. 

"Yeah, well, we weren't meant for each other. He's the Prime Guardian, for User's sake! Ray's more mah type. Look, Ah haven't told Ray about this yet, so Ah'd appreciate you not mentioning it." 

" Mouse, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I bet nothing you could tell Ray would surprise him much." 

"Well, Ah certainly hope so. Ah think Ah'm gonna hang on t' this one for awhile." 

"Better watch it. I almost deleted from shock! You never keep boyfriends for long." 

"And Ah thought _you_ didn't want t' be tied down, sugah." 

Perl rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress a slight smile. "We really _are_ getting soft." 

---- __

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. The cell Bob sat in now was arguably worse than floating free in the web. It was just as cold, and definitely darker. And yet, he couldn't even be sure whether or not he was actually a prisoner. After all, why bother to save him from the grip of a web creature only to toss him in here? 

Answers were not forthcoming. In the almost two seconds he reckoned he'd been there, he'd only seen his captors a handful of times. He slumped against the rough stone wall, thoughts of Mainframe running through the back of his mind as he drifted off. He was pulled back from the verge of sleep by the sound of the strange, staticy language of his captors.   
The door swung open. 

Bob blinked against the blinding light that poured through the opening. His hazy vision picked out the silhouette of a tall sprite who extended his hand to help him to his feet. 

"I'm sorry for the delay," the sprite said. "It took awhile for them to find a translator." He led Bob from the small cell into the hallway, where they were joined by some of the same mysterious armor-clad men who'd pulled Bob from the web. Now that his eyes had adjusted, Bob saw his translator was a sprite of about his own age, clad much the same as the guards that followed behind him. His dark crimson skin was marred by what looked to be barely healed ritualistic scars. He bore little mark of web degradation. 

"What's your name, Guardian?" 

"Bob," he replied. The sprite nodded. 

"I'm Jal. I'll be translating for you until you learn Modem. Assuming you last that long, that is." 

"Assuming--" 

Jal sighed. "Web Rider society is very strict. Everyone who lives in this compound has to be able to pull their own weight, or the society doesn't function. You'll find no elderly or disabled here." He gestured to the Riders flanking them as they walked down the long corridor. "Most Web Riders were born and raised on compounds like this one. That's the reason they don't speak your language. When they come of age, they're required to undergo an initiation. Those who survive become productive members of society. Foundlings, sprites like you and myself--also have to under go the initiation, albeit a slightly altered version." Jal paused his stride and gave Bob a serious look. "I won't lie to you. It's painful, and at times almost unbearable. But I have a feeling you're strong." 

Bob frowned. If there was a chance he could get home to Mainframe, he knew he'd survive anything.   
  


Bob sat up in the darkness of his cabin, temporarily disorientated as the last of the vivid dream faded away. He remained there for a moment before deciding to head above deck for awhile. It was late, and the ship was cruising silently through the abyss of the web while her crew slept peacefully in the small rooms below. He had expected to be alone topside, but as he cleared the stairs , he caught sight of the shadowy outline of Matrix and AndrAIa standing before one of the portholes. The sight of the young couple wrapped securely in each other's arms, talking in low voices so that he could only just hear the murmur of their quiet conversation brought a smile to his face. He turned as silently as he'd come back down the stairs, brooding thoughts banished from his mind, to return to his cabin and an untroubled sleep. 

---- 

_She'd packed up the few belongings she thought she'd be able to carry with her the night before. Now Mouse crept quietly through her house and out the front door, careful to stop the screen door from slamming shut and waking her mother and stepfather. _

She didn't want to leave, not really. She loved her mother and her system, but she couldn't stay with him_ a moment longer. Anyone else would have just reported him, but she couldn't. If she told _anyone,_ he'd tell her mother about the times she'd been caught hacking. It _had_ been just a hobby for her. It was easy, and she enjoyed the risk involved. But she'd made a few mistakes early on, and her stepfather had leapt upon that chance to make her indebted to him...to make her keep her silence. _

Not anymore. She was going to be free now. A smile quirked up on her face, despite the tears in her eyes as she wondered just how long it would take him to realize she'd cleared out his bank account. With a spring in her step, she hurried to catch the late night transport that would carry her out of this place and onto a new adventure. Things did not turn out exactly as she'd planed. The money she'd stolen began to run thing after few system hops, and after that, she'd had to resort to altering passenger manifests in order to get transport between systems. When it finally ran out all together, she found herself standing in the busy streets of the Supercomputer, with only the clothes on her back and her skills as a hacker. It would have to do. 

She had wandered by herself for the fist few minutes, avoiding the Guardians who were continually trying to pick up the street kids and place them in foster homes. She guess that was nice enough for the kids who wanted new families, but she was the Mouse, and she was strictly a solo act. Besides, she was 1.3 now, practically an adult in her own mind, and she was going to be the greatest hacker in the 'Net some cycle. 

Of course, those grandiose dreams were often displaced by cold and hunger, with thoughts that her home, even with her abusive stepfather, would be a much better place. The streets were an unsafe place for a young sprite, and she'd encountered worse nightmares here than she'd ever had to face with him... 

Mouse rolled over and tried to get comfortable for the thousandth time that night. Sleep refused to come. Beside her, Ray stirred. "Somethin' the matter, luv?" 

"No, Ah'm sorry. Can't sleep." She said apologetically. She climbed out of the bed and began to pace the length of the small Principal Office quarters. 

"Y' sure y' don't want t' talk about it?" 

She stopped her pacing mid-stride and glanced at him. "Ah don't know if Ah can, Ray. Ah--Ah never told anyone some of this stuff before..." 

"Luv, y' c'n tell me anything. Y' know that..." 

She turned to face him, pushing a sleep tousled strand of electric orange hair out of her eyes. "Ah know. And Ah want t' tell you, but--" 

Ray climbed out of the bed and crossed over to where she stood. Her wrapped one arm around her waist and ran the other back through her vibrant hair. "Mouse, I'm not goin' anywhere, and nothing y' tell me is gonna frighten me off, okay? So you go ahead an' tell me anything y' need to." 

She nodded, eyes squeezed shut. Ray brushed away the tears that lingered on her lower lashes with his thumb. "Okay, but it's a long story, sugah." 

"Y' got my attention for as long as y' need, luv." 

She pressed her head against his shoulder and began to tell the story from the beginning. It seemed the weight of a lifetime poured out of her and into the room, making the very air heavy and tense. Ray's arms tightened around her, silently reassuring as they stood there together in the small room. 

"Luv," he said, once she'd finished. "I'm gonna do everything in my power t' make that up to you." 

"Ya don't have to, Ray. If ya wanted to leave Ah wouldn't--" 

"None of that, now," he said, cutting her off. "User knows I've got tales of my own--probably not a painful--but the point is we both got baggage and it's time we let it go. None of it matters now." 

---- 

"Uh oh. Look lively people. We've got activity in sector 36." Perl swiveled her chair around to tap a few commands. "It's a ship, Guardian signature. And they're trying to form a portal." 

"Not good," Dennis commented. "I'll take the CPUs out there just in case. Perl, can you and Mouse keep them from forming a stable portal?" 

"We're already on it, love," the dark skinned hacker replied. "You do your job, we'll do ours. Right, Mouse?" 

"Sure thing, sugah," the other hacker drawled, giving her friend a wide smile. 

---- 

"Ma'am, we've reached the system. It appears you were right. Script must be here. Someone is thwarting our attempts to open a portal." The infected Guardian glanced up at the view screen as his ship mates tried to form another portal. The tear stabilized momentarily into a shimmering sphere, then collapsed again. "We can't get through." 

"Keep trying!" The voice at the other end hissed. "She's only one sprite. She can't repel our attempts forever." 

"Yes, Daemon. Guardian ship out." He turned back to his crew. "Keep trying," he ordered. "Daemon wants that sprite." 

End Part Seven 

Continue...

Back


	8. 8

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

"We're approaching the system, Captain." One of the pirates informed. The view screen showed the small flickering tear of Turing's web address. 

"And it appears we're not alone," Capacitor added. 

Bob fixed his gaze on the screen. "Can we zoom in?" He asked. The image enlarged , clearly showing the plain looking ship that hovered just outside the pulsating tear. "It's a Guardian ship," he said darkly. He glanced over at Matrix. "You should probably switch your icon. They've got a lock on it, and if we can keep our identities a secret for awhile, we should." 

Matrix nodded, tapping the icon and transforming it from the plain Guardian icon to game sprite mode. Bob glanced over at the captain. "Have your men bring us in, but don't fire unless you have to. We can't forget that these sprites aren't responsible for their actions. It's Daemon's infection that's controlling them." 

---- 

"I'm picking up another ship- signature unknown. It's approaching the Guardian ship." 

"Ah think the cavalry's just arrived. Think you can handle the Guardians?" 

"You kidding? Easy as falling off an analog. These guys have no idea how to counter our moves. They're just waiting for us to slip up." 

Mouse grinned. "If the other ship tries t' get in, let it, but shut that portal down as soon as they're clear. We don't need the Guardians slippin' in behind 'em. Ah'll go with Ray out t' the sector." 

Perl nodded and went back to her workstation. Mouse turned and headed out of the P.O. to where Ray was waiting. 

"Y' ready t; go, luv?" 

"Sure thing. Let's just hope the Mainframers can handle those Guardians." 

---- 

Bob kept a close eye on the Guardian ship as they approached the tear. So far, it had not reacted to their presence. "Captain, as soon as we're in range, use the portal generator to stabilize the tear." 

"How do we know we're going to be able to get through? The Guardian's aren't having much luck." AndrAIa pointed to the screen, where the tear transformed into a portal again briefly before collapsing. 

"Mouse knows we're coming. When she sees it's us, she should let us through." Just then, the ship was rocked by an explosion as the Guardian ship opened fire. The crew of the Mare scrambled to their stations and began to return fire. 

"We're out-gunned," Matrix shouted over the din as the ship shuttered again. The lights flickered. 

"This is bad," AndrAIa said, looking over the ship's diagnostics. "We're going to lose the web shielding!" 

"Are we close enough to make a portal?" Bob asked. 

"Yes," AndrAIa replied, "but if we stabilize the tear, the Guardians might be able to follow us into Turing." 

"That's a risk we're going to have to take. Assuming we can even get a stable portal," he added grimly, turning his gaze to the view screen. Everyone in the ship held their breath as the tear transformed into a shimmering portal, and stabilized.  
The Mare disappeared into the system, the Guardian ship following close behind. As the pirate ship sailed out over the sparkling energy sea of Turing, the portal began to collapse. 

Bob shook his head sadly. "They're not going to make it." The front half of the Guardian ship emerged from the portal as it constricted and then collapsed. The ship was ripped apart as it lost its stable path into the system, raining metal fragments into the sea below. Bob sighed and turned away from the screen. 

"Bob," Matrix tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, "you couldn't have prevented that." 

"I know," he replied, his voice hardening. "Daemon is the one to blame." 

"Guys, we're got company." AndrAIa pointed to the CPUs gathering in front of the ship. 

"Lower the shielding, AndrAIa. Hopefully, your friends will remember you." 

AndrAIa tapped in a few commands and the web shielding dissolved from around the ship, revealing Turing's bright blue sky overhead. The wind blew softly over the energy sea, carrying wisps of smoke from the destruction of the Guardian ship. A moment later, two familiar figures appeared over the ship. Ray landed the surfboard gracefully on the Mare's deck. 

"Glad t' see ya made it," Mouse drawled, stepping off the surfboard. "Run into any trouble?" 

"We took a couple of hits from the Guardian ship, but repairs should be fairly simple, assuming we can get the parts we need," AndrAIa said. 

"That's good. Well, why don't we get ya t' dock, and we can catch up." 

---- 

Dennis looked at the assembled group and shook his head. "You're all random. A frontal assault on a supervirus?" 

"There isn't another way," Bob interjected. "She had control of most of the systems on the 'Net. Mouse and Ray found a rudimentary rebellion force, but if anything, it's too little too late." 

Dennis nodded. "Well, if this Daemon is half as powerful as you say, you're going to need all the help you can get. We haven't much to offer, I'm afraid, but Turing is at your disposal." 

"Thank you," Bob replied. "I'm afraid we're really only here long enough to get our ship repaired. Daemon is going to come looking for her ship, and our presence here is a liability to your system." 

"Of course. Though to be truthful, if your friends hadn't warned us about Daemon, we would have let that Guardian ship into the system, no questions asked. Whatever we can offer is yours." 

Bob nodded. "At the moment, our priority is getting the Mare operational again. AndrAIa knows the specifics of what we need." 

"C'mon, Dennis," the game sprite said. "I'll give you a list." 

The departure of the two sprites signaled the end of the meeting and everyone began to file out of the room. "Perl," Bob called, just before the hacker departed the room, "Can I talk to you for a nano?" 

The dark skinned sprite stopped and leaned up against the door frame. "I'm turning out t' be quite the popular sprite, aren't I?" At Bob's blank look she waved the comment off. "Never mind. Talk." 

"I assume you've figured out why Daemon came after you?" 

"I'm not basic, Bob. Mouse said Daemon was having trouble with hackers denying access to some of the systems. She also said that so far, it was only the Guardians she'd managed to infect, which means she's probably spreading the infection through the protocols and not the sprites' individual code. So what she needs is a grade A hacker _with_ the Guardian protocols. Leaves her with a pretty short list, don't it?" 

"You can't stay here." 

"I know," she replied, her voice pained. "Just when I thought I'd finally put all my demons to rest..." 

"This isn't easy for any of us, Perl. You know that." 

"Sure, I know that," she retorted. "The difference is, I'm being dragged into this against my will. I don't _want_ these damned protocols, and yet, time and time again, they end up getting me involved in stuff I don't want any part of." 

"Turbo--" 

"If Turbo had stripped me of rank and thrown me out like I asked, I wouldn't be in this situation." 

"He was doing what he thought was best." 

"I should have known you'd defend him," she snapped. "You always were his perfect little cadet. He may be Prime Guardian, but he's still just a sprite, and he has faults just like the rest of us. One of those faults ended up hurting Mouse- our _friend._ I'm justified in my anger, Bob. He should have stopped trying to do what was 'best' for me, and just done what any of the other Guardians would have. But he didn't, and now I have to leave the one place I've been happy in a long time." 

He stood there a moment, saying nothing. "I didn't know you felt that way," he replied finally. He sighed. "Look, Perl, if there was another way... but you know you can't risk staying here. It puts Dennis and all of Turing in danger, and you know they can't fight off Daemon." 

"I know, Bob. It's me she wants, so I have to leave." She looked away. "How much time do I have?" 

"AndrAIa thinks the repairs will take a few cycles, if we get all the parts together." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how hard it is to say goodbye." 

She looked up at him, her dark eyes shining ever so slightly with a trace of tears. "It's not going to _be_ goodbye. We're going to stop Daemon, and then I'm coming back here. It's too much like home to walk away now." 

---- 

Dot cracked one eye open and glared hatefully at her clock. She pushed herself up on her elbows and grimaced as her stomach churned. "Great." She muttered, hoping the nausea would subside. It didn't, and she found herself making a quick sprint to the bathroom. "Stomach flu, wonderful." She sighed as she rebooted into her work uniform and went to go wake Enzo. After she'd gotten her brother off to school, she zipped over to the P.O.   
  
Dot rubbed at her eyes blearily and tried once again to concentrate on the reports in front of her. She looked up as a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. 

"Are you all right, my child?" 

"I'm fine, Phong." She replied, giving the old sprite a wry smile. "I think I have a touch of that flu that's been going around," she sighed. "And I'm worried about the others. I know they haven't been gone that long..." 

"We knew when they undertook this task that it would not be easy to find and defeat Daemon, but we must have the utmost confidence in their abilities." 

"You're right, Phong. And Thanks." 

---- 

_"So how do you like what I've done with the place?" Bren--_Daemon,_ Turbo reminded himself, laughed with a vile sort of glee and spread her arms to encompass the room. Thick tendrils pulsating with a sickly yellow glow snaked their way along the walls of the complex with the twisted beauty of delicate lacework. All around them, the infected members of the Guardian Collective were at work carrying out orders relayed silently through the supervirus' telepathic link. "Their wills are mine...every thought, every action, controlled by _me._" Her lips curved upward in a malicious smile. "I won, Charlie. I told you I would." _

The prime guardian fixed a baleful glare on the pale woman. "Isn't this takin' revenge a little far, Daemon? If it's me ya want--" 

He was cut off as her hand shot outward and caught him around the throat, long nails digging cruelly into the back of his neck like talons. "This goes far beyond revenge, my dear Charles." Her tone was icy and mocking. "If you think me simply a scorned lover out for revenge, you are sadly mistaken. Brenna may have been satisfied seeing your precious Collective destroyed, but it means nothing to us,_" she hissed, face inches away from his own. Her yellow eyes flashed dangerously, shattering any illusions he might have has that the woman before him was his former lover.   
"They are simply efficient tools. The 'Net will be mine, Guardian. Thousands of systems, millions of lives, all mine." She pushed him away and he stumbled back a few paces before regaining his balance. "There are, however, a few loose ends to tie up. Your protégé, for example. And that hacker." Her face twisted in an ugly scowl. "I've arranged for a little... surprise for dear Bob. I want you to contact the hacker. Tell her..." She paused, a wicked gleam entering her eyes. "Tell her we need confirmation of a web creature in the system called Mainframe. Someone will send her a communicator so that she can keep in touch." _

"Ah won't do it, Daemon. Ah'm not goin' to set mah friends up to fall into your trap." 

"You say that as if you had a voice in the matter." Her eyes narrowed and flashed brighter yellow. The Prime Guardian fell to his knees in agony, the infection blazing brightly through him like fire. The other Guardians in the room froze in place, eyes turned upon Daemon and Turbo. After a moment, Daemon turned her focus away and Turbo climbed slowly to his feet. The other Guardians went back to their various tasks, as if the two no longer existed. "Contact her." Her voice was hard. 

Turbo nodded his head slowly, a pained expression on his face. "Yes, Daemon." 

---- 

Perl wandered into the navigation center, flipping the lights on to illuminate the room. A startled cry to her right made her spin on her heel, muscles tensed in automatic response, ready to fight. She relaxed her stance, however, when she realized the only other occupant was the Surfer, who was shading his eyes from the glare of the overhead lights. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was anyone in here." She thumbed off the lights again in response to Ray's obvious distress. 

"Thanks, Luv," he replied, swiveling his chair back to the console he'd been working at. "The goggles are good most o' the time, but they make it hard t' read the displays." 

Perl took a seat next to him, idly picking up the goggles and turning them over in her hands before setting them down again. "Web blindness?" She asked. 

The surfer raised an eyebrow, his oddly mis-matched gaze fixed on her. "Don't tell me y'r a doctor too?" 

Perl smiled slightly and shook her head. It wasn't hard to understand what Mouse saw in the handsome web surfer. "I spent a lot of time going from system to system. I picked up a lot of information out there. I thought there was a way to prevent web blindness, though." 

He frowned, an inexplicably sorrowful look flickering across his face. "There is, taking into account you're not young and assume it'll never happen t' you..." 

_"Ah!" _

"Sorry." Elek dimmed the light in the exam room. "But this is your own fault, Ray." She tossed her long copper curls back over her shoulder and sighed. "I told you when you started your trips into the web that you needed t' wear goggles. That fancy armor o' yours doesn't do a thing to protect your eyes." 

"Cuts down on my peripheral vision, Elek. Might miss a web creature scouting for a meal." 

Elek flopped down on a stool and locked her green eyes on him. "Ray, if you keep this up, you're going to go blind. If you'd come in earlier I might have been able t' fix things, but your eyes are too far gone. The web blindness becomes permanent after a certain point. Now you don't really have a choice but to wear the goggles." 

Ray sighed and put his goggles back in place over his eyes. "Elek, do me a favor? Don't tell Dad 'bout this?" 

Elek rolled her eyes at her brother. "Sure... though he's bound t' find out. It's not exactly normal to wear those goggles all cycle." 

Ray grimaced. "I'd rather put it off as long as possible, El. He's not gonna be too pleased." 

"No doubt about that, bro. You know he wasn't too pleased about the web surfing in the first place...but you should tell him. Or I could if ya want. I mean, I can tell him it wasn't y'r fault." 

He shook his head. "No, it was_ my fault. I was being stupid. I'll tell him." He gave Elek a lop sided smile. "Hopefully he won't be too mad."_

Perl gave him a weary smile and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We all make mistakes, Ray. Believe me, I know how it is. And it may not be of much comfort, but at least the only one who got hurt was yourself." 

He gave her a lopsided smile. "Is that s'posed t' be reassuring?" 

"Not really," she sighed. "Just... at least you know no one else was hurt because you didn't think." 

"Experience?" 

"Unfortunately." She looked away for a moment, warding off memories, then turned back to him. "Since I've got you here, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." 

"Oh?" He asked. 

"Yes," she replied seriously. "About Mouse. I need to know you're serious about being with her... don't get me wrong, your feelings are your business, not mine, but she's been burned in the past. I don't want to see it happen again. She seems rather fond of you." 

"Believe me, Luv, I've never been more serious about anythin' in my life. I'm not gonna run off." 

Perl smiled. "Good. I think you're good for her. And I'd really hate to have to delete you. You seem nice." 

"Good t' know. Hackers stick together, huh?" 

"Something like that. Well, I'll let you get back to your work. I've got things of my own to take care of. Have to make sure security doesn't crash without me." She stood and left the room, leaving him alone again. 

---- 

All the lights were off in the house when Perl finally made it in from the Principal Office. The last of the security duties had been handed over, and everyone thoroughly briefed on operations. She'd packed up her belongings from her apartment and gotten them stowed away on the Mare, awaiting her departure in the morning.   
She entered the bedroom quietly, not wanting to wake Dennis if he had fallen asleep. 

"Everything go okay?" His voice called from the bed, proving he had waited up for her return. 

"Finally. I thought I was never going to get out of there." She took her hair out of the ponytail and striped off her clothes, crawling into bed next to him. "I think they'll do okay without me, though." 

"Be careful out there. We're counting on you to come back." 

"We?" She scoffed, propping herself up on one elbow to lean over him. "I think the system can run without me." 

"_I'm_ counting on you to come back," he amended, reaching up and toying with a strand of her long hair. 

"That's better." She leaned down to kiss him passionately and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. 

---- 

The Mare's second departure was much more subdued. Perl said her good-byes to Dennis in private, and the ship set sail without a hitch, gliding out of Turing and into the wilds of the web once more. When they'd settled into their course, the sprites gathered below deck to discuss the plans that Mouse and Ray had drawn up while back in the system. 

"Daemon is bound to be on alert now that her ship hasn't reported back," Bob commented, looking over the plans. "Things are going to get a lot more difficult from here on out." 

"Not to mention the Web Riders," Matrix added. "They almost took us out last time." 

"I'll handle the Web Riders if necessary," Bob replied. "They'll respect me. I'm more worried about Daemon gathering a fleet of ships. We don't have enough fire power to take them on." 

"Well," Mouse interjected, "Ah think that trying' t' get from the web right to the Supercomputer is a suicide mission. Ray and Ah mapped out all the systems that are still actively fightin' off Daemon's control. If we get lucky, we can hop our way between systems until we get close enough to make a run for the Supercomputer." 

"Sounds like a plan to me," Bob replied. How long until we reach the first of those systems?" 

"A little over four cycles. These systems are few and far between," she pointed to the schematics laid out on the table, "but it'll be better than sittin' out here where Daemon can take pot shots at us." 

"Agreed. Help AndrAIa lay in a course. I've got a few other things to take care of." He glanced at Perl, and she nodded, following him out of the room. 

"You brought her with you?" He asked, once they were out of the room. 

"I did." Perl reached back and took the battered keytool from her belt. "Do you _really_ think you can fix her?" 

"I don't really know. But it's worth a try." He took the keytool from her gently and held it between his hands. His eyes closed and his brow furrowed in concentration. A faint golden glow began between his palms, then grew brighter and enveloped his hands and the keytool entirely. After a few nanos, the glow faded away, and Bob opened his eyes again. "I...think it worked." His face had gotten paler and he sounded drained. He handed Lotus back to Perl, who took the small box reverently. It was slightly warm in her hands. She went automatically to place the keytool on her wrist, only to remember her current uniform had no bracers. 

"I guess I'll have to do something about that," she said sheepishly, placing Lotus back on her belt." Are you going to be all right?" 

"Yeah, I'll be fine. That just took more out of me than I thought it would. I think I'm going to go lie down for awhile." 

Perl nodded. "I'm sure we can handle everything. And thank you. I should never have gotten on your case about Turbo back in Turing. He's your friend and I-" 

"Don't worry about it Perl. I can understand why you'd be upset. But believe me, he'd never do anything he didn't think was best for you." 

She sighed. "I know. It would be nice to be able to tell him that." 

"You will," he replied. "And now I'm going to go lie down." 

---- 

_Bob squeezed his eyes shut, teeth gritted against the pain. Energy ran from the multiple cuts on his face, and his whole body was throbbing with pain from similar slashes. He'd been held by the Web Riders for over two seconds now, if his estimations were accurate. The door to the dark cell creaked open, letting in a sliver of light that burned his eyes after so long in the darkness. He blinked several times until the blurry figure before him became recognizable. Jal kneeled beside him, setting a cup and a plate on the floor. "How are you doing?" _

"I've... been better," he answered slowly. 

Jal nodded. "It'll be over soon. The Riders are really quite impressed that you made it this far. Most of them had bets placed against you surviving the first two cycles." 

Bob smiled wearily, then stretched his arms as Jal released the restraints that had held them behind his back. "I always was an overachiever." 

Jal chuckled slightly. "And you still have your good humor intact. Here," he said, offering the cup, "It certainly isn't fine cuisine, but it'll help keep your strength up." 

Bob took the cup, sniffed at it's contents and grimaced. "Do I want to know what's in here?" 

"Probably not." Jal glanced at the door. "I have to get going. I have scouting duty in a few micros. Enjoy your meal, Guardian." 

"Well," Bob commented, looking at the plate, "I'll try, anyway." 

When he'd finished the less than appetizing meal, he leaned back against the wall. The few brief discussion he'd had with Jal were probably the only thing that kept him sane in here. That, and the thought of getting home to Dot... assuming Megabyte hadn't destroyed Mainframe entirely. The door opened again sometime later, and he looked up, hoping Jal had returned from his duties. His heart sank as he saw that it wasn't Jal, but rather the other Web Riders. He didn't even bother to struggle as they took him by the arms and hauled him from the room, instead, he inwardly steeled himself for the ordeal he knew was coming. 

He was jolted from his sleep as a shot hit the Mare, sending a violent shutter throughout the ship. He dashed from his room up to the deck, meeting up with the others who'd been shaken from their sleep. "What's going on?" He asked Perl, who'd been assigned the night watch. 

"Guardian ship came out of nowhere," she said grimly. "They must have been using the interference from that data storm we passed through earlier to hide from our sensors." Another shot struck the ship as the pirates scrambled to their weapons post. "It's only a little exploration vessel, though." Perl replied, checking her readouts. I think we can out-gun them. But we've already taken a lot of damage. That first shot disrupted propulsion." 

Bob sighed, then glanced around at the rest of the group. "Well, we knew our luck wasn't going to hold out forever." 

End Part Eight 

Continue...

Back


	9. 9

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

It was amazing how quickly things could tumble out of control, Dot thought as another wave of nausea wracked her body. These early-morning trips to the bathroom were becoming a disturbingly regular part of her morning routine, and she knew she couldn't skirt around the truth any longer, no mater how much she wanted to. Time to face the truth. There was, after all, only so much that could conceivably be wrong with her at this point, and she was pretty sure she knew what it was. All that was left was formal confirmation, and she'd been avoiding that for cycles. She didn't want it to be true. She wanted to go on believing it was the stomach flu or some other bug, but she was too intelligent to hid behind comforting self-delusions. More than anything, she wished Bob were there with her, instead of gallivanting across the web, unaware of the situation she was facing--  
She got shakily to her feet and paused a moment until she was sure she wasn't going to be sick again. She didn't even want to think about the danger Bob was facing. Didn't want to face the possibility that he'd never make it home and she'd be left behind to face on her own. She quickly brushed her teeth then went back into her bedroom and changed out of her nightgown and into her body armor. The same armor she'd been wearing since Megabyte's attempted take over of the city more than an hour ago. She paused to study her reflection in the full length mirror and sighed. Mainframe wasn't at war anymore, not directly anyway, and the outfit was the last hold over from those dark cycles. She made a mental note to go shopping for something slightly more casual. She was the Command.Com, after all, and it wouldn't do for her to be a constant reminder of the war they'd just won. She made a silent prayer for Bob and the others to return home quickly, then went into the kitchen. 

Enzo was already in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. "Sorry I wasn't up to make you breakfast." 

"It's okay," he said between mouthfuls. 

"Well, you'd better finish up, or you're going to be late." She walked over to the counter and started a pot of java. Her stomach did flip-flops at the mere sight of food, but seemed to be okay with a cup of java. She'd never been much of a breakfast eater anyway. 

Enzo finished up his bowl of cereal and put the dishes in the sink, then grabbed his book bag from beside the door. Dot gave her little brother a quick hug, then gave his cap a spin. "I'll pick you up after school. Have a good day. And behave yourself. I don't want another call from your teacher telling me you've been making paper airplanes in class." 

The young sprite rolled his eyes. "I'll behave." 

"Good, now get going." Dot watched him leave the house and hop onto his zip board. He turned and waved, and she waved back before he zipped off in the direction of the school. Dot walked back into the kitchen and had a cup of Java before she too left the house, heading for the principal office. 

---- 

The halls of the Collective's central office were eerily quiet as Turbo walked, without destination, trying desperately to think of a way to thwart the supervirus. Daemon had sent out the majority of the infected Guardians to help quell a rebellion that had broken out in several of the systems she controlled. More had been sent on patrol ships that were searching for a vessel rumored to be the source of this sudden flare up of dissension amongst Daemon's subjects. He wanted to use his unique knowledge of Daemon's operations to his advantage, but he couldn't do that unless he knew what was going on the outside, and he didn't think he could risk leaving the system again. Hopefully, the rumored ship and the rebellion meant the Matrix boy had found Bob in the web. He only wished there were a way to know for sure. His pace quickened, as he headed in the direction of the communications room. He had an idea that just might work. 

Elsha was sitting at the communication terminal, as he had expected. She swiveled her chair around when she heard him walk in. "Hey Charlie," She said tiredly. Her expression was weary. Elsha was one of the few Guardians still fighting off Daemon's control. Turbo had carefully tallied up those within Daemon's base of operations that he could trust to help him in this attempts to end her reign. She had also graduated in the same class he had, becoming one of the Collective's top communications officers. 

"Elsha," he said in a hushed tone, standing close to her chair so that they would not be overheard. "Ah need to try to contact a system... and it's important Daemon doesn't find out. Is there a way t' do that?" 

"It's a possibility," she replied, her hands instantly at work at the controls, green eyes scanning the read-outs on her workstation. "If I mask it as a routine communication and then re-route it enough times, I think I could get a message through." 

"Good. Ah need to contact System Mainframe. Ask them--ask if their Guardian has come home." He paused. "And is there anyway you could get a live feed through? Ah may have t' talk to someone face t' face." 

"It would be tricky...a lot harder to hide from her." 

"What if we arranged for a distraction? A faked report from the field that would hold Daemon's attention long enough for a short conversation?" 

"It might..." She turned her eyes on him and placed a hand on his arm. "Charlie, this is risky. I can't guarantee it will work. And we both know Brenna will kill you if she finds out." 

"She's Daemon now, Elsha. That thing ain't Brenna. Brenna was a lot of things but she was never this evil." His forlorn expression changed to one of determination. " 'Sides, if we don't stop her, we're all as good as deleted anyway." 

"You're right," Elsha sighed. "We have to do whatever we can to stop her. Whatever the cost." 

---- 

The gunners were doing their best to hold off the attacking ship, but the Mare was taking heavy damage. "We have to do something," AndrAIa said. "Even if we manage to stop them, with any more damage, we won't be able to make it to the next system." 

"I'm goin' out there," Ray said, watching the Guardian ship on the vidwindows. 

"Ah'm comin' with ya," Mouse replied immediately. 

"No, Luv. You've got t' stay here. I can't do my job out there if I'm worrying about you." 

Mouse scowled. "Well, you've got a point, Ah guess. Be careful out there." 

"You know I will, Luv." He picked his board up and headed for the hatch. "Keep those guys distracted 'till I'm clear of the ship." 

---- 

"Ma'am? We've got an incoming message." 

Dot looked up from her work station. "Can you trace the call?" 

"It's been re-routed several times," the binome replied, tapping keys quickly. "Pretty heavy encryption." 

"Mouse?" 

"I don't think so. It's text only. I'm routing it to your station now." 

"Thank you," Dot replied, glancing at the message that scrolled across her vidwindow. She blinked a few times then stood up. "Can we send back a reply?" She asked. 

"I think so, yes." 

"Good. I need you to send this message. 'Yes,' and 'fourteen hundred milliseconds.' Can you do that?" 

The binome nodded. "Ma'am, what is this about?" 

"Hope," she replied, and strode off to find Phong. 

---- 

"How are things looking out there?" Bob asked quickly as he and AndrAIa worked to keep the Mare's systems stable. 

"Not good," Perl replied from where she was manning one of the guns. Her chair swiveled as she took aim at the Guardian ship and fired. "Ray's still holding his own, but at this point, even if we destroy the ship--" 

"I know, I know," Bob replied, frowning. "Just keep firing. We can't afford to give them the opportunity to--" He was cut off as the ship was rocked by a heavy explosion and the cabin plunged into darkness. "What just happened!?" Bob shouted as emergency lights came on. 

AndrAIa looked down at the schematics in front of her, face grim. "We just lost the engines." 

---- 

"What is it, my child?" Phong gave the Command.Com a measuring look as she strode into his office. 

"We just got a message from Turbo, from inside the Collective. It was heavily encoded, but we managed crack it. It was the request for a conference." 

"We must be careful. From what we have learned, Daemon is quite devious. This could be a trap." 

"I know. But it's a risk I'm willing to take, Phong. If there's a chance we can help Bob and the others fight this thing-" 

"Then we must do what we can. But we must also be prepared to confront Daemon's troops should she find us." 

"From what Mouse and Ray reported, her resources seem stretched pretty thin. I think we can hold off anything she sends our way, assuming she can even find us at all. Mouse did a good job of hiding Mainframe from the web. We have to do _something,_ Phong. I can't sit here any more, not knowing what's going on, if they're all right or--" She paused to take a deep breath. "We fought off Megabyte, didn't we? Daemon won't be able to take this system from me without a fight." 

---- 

"Captain, we're getting some strange readings on the remaining scanners. There's someone else out there." Another explosion rocked the hull of the Mare. 

"AndrAIa, how are we holding up?" 

"We can't take much more of this, Bob," the game sprite replied, going over her limited readouts. "We're loosing hull integrity in several places below decks. A few more hits like those and we've had it." 

"Spam it all! There's got to be _something_ we can do. If we lose now, there'll be no one left to stop Daemon!" Suddenly, the ship lurched as the portals were flooded with a brilliant flash of light accompanied by sound of an explosion out in the web. "What in the Net was that?" The entire ship was plunged into an eerie silence as the almost constant bombardment from the enemy ship ceased. 

"Ah've got no clue," Mouse drawled from her position at one of the guns. "Whatever it was knocked out what was let of our scanners. Ah hope Ray's all right..." 

"Matrix, can you see anything with that eye of yours?" 

"Not a thing Bob. It's like there's some sort of static blocking it out... I don't like this one bit." 

"Neither do I. AndrAIa, see about getting us some kind of sensors back online? I don't like sitting in the dark like this..." 

"I'll see what I can do." She paused, looking over her workstation. "That's odd..." She frowned. "Mouse, can you come here for a sec? I can't make heads or tails of this." 

The hacker hopped down from her seat and strode over to AndrAIa's station. "Well, son of a webcreature... It's a message. But no one uses this code anymore... Help me get communications back on line, AndrAIa. Ah think we just found us some friends." 

---- 

"Turbo?" 

"Hey Elsha," Turbo got up from his desk. "Let's walk. Ah'm never sure if Daemon's watchin' me or not." The two sprites exited the office and headed out into the gardens of the Guardian Collective compound. "Ah hope you've got some good news for me," he said, once he was relatively sure they weren't being observed. 

The communications officer nodded. "Tomorrow, fourteen hundred milliseconds. We got lucky, Charlie. Daemon's going to be pretty distracted if the reports trickling in are true..." 

"About the ship no one can seem t' find? Ah sure hope you're right. 'Cause if you are, that means the other little part of my plan is working." He allowed himself a small smile. 

"What--" 

"Sorry, Elsha. Ah can't tell you that. You understand." 

She nodded. "We're going to make it through this, aren't we?" 

He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Ah sure hope so, Elsha. Or User help us all." 

---- 

"Things just keep getting weirder and weirder," Matrix commented, watching the meeting taking place. 

"Yeah, what are the chances?" AndrAIa asked. 

"You should know by now anything can happen, sugah. 'Specially after everything that's happened already." Mouse eyed the vidwindow where Bob was talking with their rescuers. "Can ya ask 'im if Ray's alright? Ah still can't get a reading on anything out there," she asked a bit anxiously. 

"The surfer is fine," said the head of the resistance movement, who bore a striking resemblance to the Prime Guardian, albeit several hours older. "A little worse for wear, but our people are looking after him." 

"Well, thank goodness," the hacker replied, the relief apparent in her voice. Matrix gave her an amused look, and she scowled. 

"We haven't got much to offer, but Ah'm sure we can fix up that ship of yours," the sprite continued, "And we'll give you whatever assistance we can, if it means we're that much closer to destroying Daemon." 

Bob nodded. "We'll take whatever you can offer. We're going to need a hand fixing our engines before we can go anywhere I'm afraid." 

"I'll have a team sent over--your crewman as well. We can discuss plans after we're safely in system again. Script out." 

The vidwindow closed again, and Bob sank tiredly into a chair. "Thank the user for small favors," he sighed, then glanced up. "Where's Perl?" 

"She ducked our right after she caught sight of the face on that vidscreen, sugah. She never did get along well with her daddy." 

Bob smiled wryly. "Should have guessed he would be the one to start up the resistance." 

"Just as brash as Turbo, thats f'r sure. That family got more than its share of guts." She eyed her console one last time, and threw her hands up in disgust. "I'm gonna go find Perl. You guys lemme know when Ray gets back." With that, she tromped down the stairs that lead to the lower decks. 

"I'd really hate to be Ray right about now," Matrix replied. AndrAIa and Bob didn't quite manage to suppress their laughter. 

---- 

"Hey. You doin' okay?" Mouse leaned in the doorway of the small cabin. Perl glanced up. 

"I--heck, Mouse, I don't know _what_ to feel. This is random..." 

"The 'Net's a random place. You know that as well as Ah do, hun. Question is, what're you gonna do about it?" 

"Talk to him, I guess." She replied dourly. "Not much chance of avoidin' it." 

"Not likely, no." Mouse walked over and took a seat next to her old friend. "Ah'm sure he'll understand. Never struck me as being the kind to hold grudges." 

Perl shook her head. "I'm more afraid he'll be disappointed, Mouse. He never really wanted to send me to the academy, you know? I guess because he'd lost Mom, and couldn't stand the though of me putting myself in harm's way every single cycle. But once I was there, he was proud, and I disappointed him. Guess I've been running from that as much as Jake's death." She hung her head. "Part of me is glad to see him, but..." 

"Hey, Ah wouldn't fret over it, if Ah were you. You've done a lot t' be plenty proud of since then. An' Ah'd give mah right hand t' be in yoah position now. Never got t' say goodbye t' my mother like Ah wish I could of. Make the best of it," she said, standing. "Who knows when you'll get another chance?" 

Perl smiled wryly. "Good point. We could be deleted by this time next second." 

"Now ye'r thinkin,'" Mouse replied wryly. "Well, Ah've got a web surfer t' yell at. You take care, sugah." With a lopsided smile, she headed out of the room. 

Perl flopped back on her bunk. "User, when did everything get so complicated?" 

---- 

"Ms. Matrix. It's good to finally talk to you. I wish it were under better circumstances." 

"You and me both," Dot replied. Even through the static of the vidscreen, she could see the infection coursing through the other sprite. "What is it Mainframe can do for you?" 

"Ah need information, Ms. Matrix. Now, I know you've got no reason t' trust me, 'specially after what happened to your system, but Ah hope you'll believe my sincerity. Ah've been working on the inside here, along with a few other Guardians who're still fighting off the infection. We want to do what we can to weaken Daemon from the inside, so your people can take her down. So what Ah'm offerin' is an exchange. Ah'll tell you everything Ah know about Daemon, and you'll give us the knowledge we need about what's happenin' there on the outside." The feed crackled loudly, the picture all but vanishing. She heard voices in the background. "Look, Ah can't hold this channel open much longer. If you're willing, we'll send you our half of the info, and let you know how to get yours back to us undetected." 

Dot hesitated, running scenarios through her mind. This could be a trap, obviously. Daemon stood to gain a distinct advantage if she exposed her hand. But it was a very convoluted one--not, from what she'd heard, Daemon's style. And she didn't have a lot of time to waste debating it. The lives of Bob and everyone on the Mare--the entire 'Net, for that matter, could hinge on her decision. She took a deep breath. "We'll do it," she replied. 

Turbo breathed a sigh of relief, audible even over the hiss of static. "You don't know how grateful I am t' hear that, Ms. Matrix. Our half of the bargain should reach you in the next few milliseconds or so. You've done the right thing." 

As the communication terminated, Dot leaned back in her chair, wondering if she had, indeed, or whether she'd just doomed them all. 

End Part Nine

Continue...

Back


	10. 10

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

"A supervirus?" 

"That's right. She calls herself Daemon, and she's responsible for the change in the Guardians' objectives." 

Victor Script looked at his new guests, momentarily speechless. "We didn't know what was goin' on. We just assumed the collective had gotten corrupt. The Guardians have a lot of power--" 

"It makes sense, in a way," Matrix spoke up from the back of the small conference room, where he was examining Gun. "If everyone thinks it's just the Guardians who are corrupt, they'll be hesitant to fight back. They don't want to fight their own people." 

"And this--Daemon gains total power from behind the scenes." Vic sunk back in his chair, a look of relief on his face. "You don't know how hard it's been, thinking that mah own brother had let this happen." 

"Turbo was the one that found us. He told Matrix what was happening," AndrAIa added. 

"You talked to him?" 

"Not for long," Matrix said. "But he said we'd have a friend on the inside for as long as he could fight off the infection." He replaced Gun on its holster. "That was seconds ago." 

"Charlie's tough," Vic replied. "Ah've got faith that he'll hold out as long as possible." 

"I've got a question," Bob spoke up. "If you thought it was the Guardians who were corrupt, why did you help us? You must have known there were Guardians on both ships." 

"We took a chance. There were only two of you. Either you were rogue, or you were captives. We couldn't let the Guardian ship just wipe you out. Mend and Defend, Guardian. Ah may not have the protocols, but all of Turbo's speeches must've rubbed off over the hours." He looked over the assembled sprites one last time. "Tell ya what. Why don't Ah have some of mah men find you quarters. Get some rest, and we'll reconvene in the morning to try an' figure out what we're gonna do. Right now, Ah've got a long lost daughter t' go track down." 

---- 

"Thought Ah might find you out here." 

Perl didn't look up, gazing instead on the panoramic view. From the top observation deck of the system's Principal Office, the entire city was spread out before her. "Always did like high places," she replied, leaning against one of the railing posts. 

"Ah was worried about you, y'know." 

She looked up momentarily, giving her father a wry smile. "You always worried. You never *stopped* worrying." 

"You never stopped givin' me reasons to," he countered, and lowered himself next to her. 

Perl pushed a strand of dark hair out of her face. "What happened, Dad? How'd you end up here, of all places?" 

The elder sprite shook his head. "Guardians took control of the system, the trade--they were running the Principle Office. Some of them were my friends, Perl. Ah couldn't stay there and watch that. Caught rumors that some systems were lookin' to revolt, and without the Guardians--well, they needed leaders. How could I *not* do something?" He put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Perl, Ah know we didn't part well. But that's all in the past." 

She shook her head. "I--I really wish it were that easy, Dad. I know what you and Turbo were trying to do--but it just wasn't right. Not for me. After what happened--I hated the games. I still do. I play them, because it's in my code, like it or not, but being a Guardian would have been a curse for me. I hope you can understand that." 

"Ah think so." He paused. "Look at you," he sighed. "What happened to my little girl?" 

Perl gave him a weary smile. "She made mistakes, Dad. Bad ones, and they cost her. I learned from it, though." 

"Are ya happy?" 

"Yeah, I think so. I found a place that needed me. Turing was being over-run by viruses--funny, I ended up becoming what I'd been running from all along. But it wasn't the same. I wasn't a defender to them, or a savior. Just someone who saw a problem and did her best to help fix it. It wasn't easy, but I think I've finally found someplace that feels like home again. They're good sprites, Dad. You'd like them." 

Vic chuckled quietly. "Well, when we're done kickin' Daemon's ascii, you'll have t' show me this Turing of yours." He looked one last time out at the darkened city below them. "It's late. We should head in. There's a lot of work ahead, for all of us." 

---- 

"Enzo, will you *please* stop pacing? You're driving me random." AndrAIa sat on the edge of the bed in their temporary quarters, leaning back on her arms. 

"Sorry." He stopped, glanceing over at her. "I guess I can't help it." 

"Something the matter, lover?" She got up and walked over. "You know I'm here to listen if you've got something on your mind." 

He reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I don't know," he said, frowning. "We're close to finally going after Daemon, but the whole thing's got me..." 

"Scared?" 

"Concerned. There's too much we don't know! Even with Script's help, I feel like we're walking into this blind. I should have gotten more info from Turbo when I had the chance." 

"And I'm sure you would have if there'd been time," AndrAIa replied, kissing him lightly. "You can't keep kicking yourself over things you can't change." 

"I'm worried about Bob." 

She nodded, knowing there'd been more to his uneasiness than just self-reproach. 

"He seems distracted or--I don't know. But it's not like him." 

"He's been through a lot. We all have." She paused, looking up into his eyes. "Dot thinks the Web Riders might have tortured him," she said quietly. 

"What? How--" 

AndrAIa shook her head. "She didn't say much, but I'm sure she's got good reason. You can't mention it, though." 

"Well, why'd she tell you?" 

"She knew he was going to come with us, even with all his protests." She smiled wanly. "She told me so I could keep an eye on him." 

"Well, no wonder he hasn't been himself since we left Mainframe," he replied. "I guess it makes sense." 

AndrAIa sighed. "Well, I sure didn't do much to lighten the mood, did I?" 

"Not your fault." He brushed her cheek with his hand. 

"It's late," she said. "And we'll have plenty of time to worry about all of this tomorrow." 

"You're right," Matrix grinned, scooping her up and carrying her over to the bed. "But it's not *that* late, is it?" 

"No," she replied with a laugh, curling up against him as he stretched out beside her on the bed. 

---- 

"Need a hand there, luv?" 

Mouse's head jerked up at the voice. "Oh, hey there Ray. Ah didn't hear ya comin.'" 

The web surfr leaned in Ship's doorway, board tucked under one arm. "Am I still in the doghouse?" 

"Nah. Ah'm not mad at ya, Ray. Ah just--" She shook her head. "Ah'm not mad." 

"Good t' know. What're y' workin' on this late in the cycle?" 

"Just running a diagnostic. Thought Ah might as well make use of the time. Don't think Ah could sleep much, anyway. How's the arm, sugah?" 

"Alright," he replied, giving the bandage on his arm a quick glance. "Smarts a bit, but nothin' I can't handle." He propped the surfboard, which had long since repaired the damage the Guardian ship had inflicted, against the wall. He took a seat next to the hacker. "Lucky shot. Don't think they knew t' go for the board." 

"Yeah," Mouse replied, frowning slightly. 

"Somethin' the matter, pretty lady?" He reached over and rested his hand on hers. 

She glanced over at him again, frown still on her face. "Ah was...scared they'd deleted you," she said, suddenly wishing she could see his eyes. "That's--never happened before." 

He cuckled. "Is that all?" 

"Glad ya find it amusin,'" she scowled. 

"Nah, luv. I'm honored that y' don't want me deleted. But y' know I'm more useful out there than I coulda been on that ship." 

She gave him a lopsided smile. "Well, try not t' let them shoot at ya so much, okay?" 

"That's a promise." He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "It's late. I'm gonna head back to the P.O for some downtime. Need a lift?" 

Mouse grinned. "Sure thing, sugah. Lemme just finish this up..." 

---- 

"Guardian? What're you still doin' up? Everybody else shuffled off milliseconds ago." 

Bob turned, glancing over his shoulder. "Thinking," he replied finally. "Wishing I knew more about what we're up against." 

Vic Script took a seat on the steps of the P.O. beside the younger sprite. "Nice t' see Ah'm not the only one," he said. "Ah mean, what kind of virus can slip in and infect the whole Collective without anyone noticin'?" 

"I'm not sure," Bob replied. "We think Daemon's using the protocols. She hasn't infected anyone else, that we know of." 

"Ah s'pose that makes sense. Why bother fightin' rebel systems after all, if you can just infect the whole population?" 

The Guardian nodded. "It only really leaves Me, Matrix, and Perl vulnerable," he said. "Your people will be safe." 

"Assumin' she doesn't delete 'em outright." 

"Of course," he sighed. "This is going to be dangerous. You don't have to put your group at risk--" 

"We've been fightin' for minutes," he interrupted. "You can bet we're not about t' quit now. There's too much at stake. We'll beat this thing." He put a hand on Bob's shoulder, then stood. "You should catch some down time. Something tells me we're gonna need everyone processin' at 100% from here on in." 

---- 

This was bad. Dot looked over the information Turbo had sent them, and sighed. She set down the file and pulled off her glasses, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. She'd read over the contents three times now, and each time, the situation seemed more hopeless. How were they going to stop a virus that had simply waltzed in and taken over the Collective? If everything the Guardians had at their disposal had been useless... A small noise made her break from her meditations. She glanced up to see Phong waiting quietly by the door to her office. "I'm sorry, Phong. I didn't hear you come in." She smiled wanly and put her glasses back on. 

"It is quite late in the cycle, my child." 

"I know. It's just--" She picked up the file again. "It doesn't look good, Phong. I can't even pinpoint any weaknesses they might be able to exploit. She took down the entire Collective in only a few seconds! Turbo confirms that she can't infect non-Guardians, but she's got the entire Supercomputer in some sort of.... stasis. It's all so useless," she finished brokenly. 

"Any insight we have on our adversary is useful, young Dot. Perhaps the others will see something you have not." 

"You're right." She laid the file on the desk again. "But we don't even know where they *are* right now, Phong. The best we can do is to forward the message to the rebel systems Turbo listed and hope it reaches them in time." She glanced around the office. "I should go. Enzo's home by himself." She got up and followed the elder sprite out of the room. "Thank you, Phong. I should know better than to let this get to me, after everything that's already happened..." 

"We must simply do the best that we can," he replied, peering up at her and adjusting his spectacles. "Good night, my child." 

She nodded, and headed out of the Principal Office. 

---- 

"Hey, little brother. Sorry I'm so late." 

Enzo looked up from his seat on the couch. "That's okay, Sis. Mike kept me company." 

Dot glanced at the appliance, who was airing reruns of 'CPUs,' and narrowed her eyes. "What did I say about watching so much violent programming?" 

"Sorry," they replied in unison. 

She sighed. "It's alright. Just no more, okay? It's time for bed anyway, young man." 

"Aw, Dot. Do I have to?" 

"Yes. It's late, and you have school in the morning. I promise to be home early tomorrow, okay?" 

"Yeah. Okay. Hey, Dot?" 

"Yes Enzo?" 

"Are things okay? I mean, with this Daemon stuff?" 

"I hope so, Enzo. I really do. But right now, I just don't know." 

The small sprite nodded. "This is all pretty basic... what does she want from everyone anyway?" 

"She's a virus, Enzo. She wants what they all want, I guess. Power... to hurt people, maybe. But everyone's doing their best to make sure she can't. Bed now, okay? We can talk some more tomorrow if you want." 

He nodded. "Night Dot." 

She leaned down and gave him a hug. "Good night, Enzo. Sleep well." 

---- 

Once Enzo was in bed, she poured herself a cup of java and curled up on the couch, pulling a soft, brightly colored afghan around her shoulders. She marveled again at the way fate seemed to enjoy throwing her life into a chaotic shambles. It wasn't fair. What had she ever done to deserve this? First, her parents had been killed, forcing her to take Enzo in and act more as his mother than the elder sister she was. Then the man she loved (though she hadn't realized the depth of her emotions at the time), and her beloved little brother were taken from her in quick succession. She'd spent almost an hour fighting to save a dying system, all the while believing the two sprites who meant everything to her were dead.  
In the end, both Bob and Enzo had returned to her, but neither as the sprite she'd known. They'd helped to defeat Megabyte, freeing all of Mainframe from his viral clutches, only to be rewarded with a system crash. Tears formed in her eyes as she relived those bitter memories. And now they were all gone again, on a search to find Daemon and stop her. On a mission to save the entire `Net. Still no matter how grim things seemed, a tiny hint of optimism still pulled at the corner of her soul, telling her things would work out in the end. Hadn't they always? Her parents were gone, and yet, hadn't she and Enzo grown closer as a result? Strengthening and testing the bonds that made them a family? Bob and Enzo had been lost to her, but hadn't she gotten them back? They'd defeated Megabyte and saved Mainframe. Their gamble with the user had paid off. The system was restarted and by yet another twist of fate she now had two brothers, both of whom she loved dearly. She and Bob had finally been able to admit how they felt for one another. And sure, he was gone now, but he'd given her a gift, so precious, so priceless...even if (User forbid) he never came back, she'd always have something to remind her of the strength of their love, this tiny life growing within her. 

---- 

Enzo crept quietly out of his room. If Dot heard him now, she'd send him back to bed and he'd lose the nerve. He could hear her crying quietly in the living room and he felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. What would he do if he was right? Dot was the only family he had left (aside from Matrix, but he still wasn't sure *what* to think of his older 'brother'). What would he do if he lost her too? He knew she'd been sick lately. She tried to hide it from him, but he'd noticed anyway. And she'd been crying more often lately, more than she had right after Bob had left. He wished Bob were here now. Bob would know what to do. He stood on the threshold between the hallway and the living room for a moment before walking over to the couch. 

"Dot?" He asked quietly. 

"Enzo..." She paused to wipe tears from her eyes. "You should be in bed. You have school in the morning." She ruffled his hair with her hand. 

"I know...I couldn't sleep. I heard you crying, Dot." 

"I'm sorry, Enzo. Come here." She pulled her little brother into her lap, smoothing back the hair she'd mussed. 

"Dot..." He said after a moment. "Are you okay?" 

Dot gave him a puzzled look. "What's on your mind, Little Brother?" 

"You're...you're not dying or anything...are you?" There he'd said it. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he waited for her to answer. 

"Oh, Enzo. No, I'm not dying," she said with a watery smile. "What in the `Net gave you that idea?" 

"Well, you've been sick lately," he said. "And you've been really sad. I mean, more sad than you were when Bob and the others left..." 

Dot sighed. "You noticed that, huh?" Enzo nodded. "I should have guessed. It's hard to keep anything from you. I'm not dying. And I'm not sick. Not really, anyway." 

"You're not?" 

"No. Enzo...I'm going to have a baby." 

"A baby?" Had he heard her right? She nodded. "Is it Bob's baby?" He asked quietly. Dot nodded again with a laugh. "That's alphanumeric, Dot!" He reached out and hugged his sister. "Though I guess you're sad because Bob's not here, huh?" 

"A little, yes. I'm worried about him." 

"Don't worry, Dot. He'll come back. He has to." He replied with fierce determination. 

"I certainly hope so. Do me a favor, Enzo?" 

"Yeah, Dot?" 

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay? I want to do it myself." 

The boy nodded, then yawned sleepily. "Come on, kido. It's back to bed with you." She picked her brother up and carried him back to his room, tucking him in. "Goodnight, Enzo." 

"Dot?" 

"Yes, Enzo?" 

"I'm glad you're not dying." 

"So am I," she laughed, kissing him on the forehead. "Goodnight." 

---- 

"That's it? *That's* our plan?" 

"Pretty much." Bob shrugged. The group had been debating stratagies since early that morning. 

Matrix glanced at Victor. "We don't have a lot of options. If we head back out into the web, she'll send more ships after us. And it won't be one at a time." 

"But walking directly into the Supercomputer itself? Have you all gone random?" He glanced around at the assembled sprites. "You have. This is totally insane." 

"We don't have a choice, sugah," Mouse spoke up. "This is probably the only way we'll get even *close* t' her without being detected first. Ah'm gonna see if I can't hack our Guardians' icons t' see if Ah can protect 'em somehow. We gotta go in and hit her hard an' fast. You know it, Vic." 

Script shook his head. "How do we know we can even form a portal? She's probably got the whole system behind a firewall." 

"Turbo did it," Matrix spoke up. "And I don't think he would have if it was going to alert Daemon." 

"Maybe she's just so sure of her success she hasn't bothered. After all, who would ever *think* of coming in through the front door?" AndrAIa said. "I think--" She was interrupted as a klaxon sounded loudly overhead. One of Script's men skidded into the meeting room. 

"Sir, we've got a problem." 

"What is it?" 

"Unauthorized portal formed just out side of the city." 

"Spamitall. What came though?" Script barked. 

"Nothing, Sir, that's the thing. Someone *left* the system. For the Supercomputer." 

"Do we know who?" The room had gone dead still, everyone fearing the implications of the news. 

"Well...yes..." 

"So spit it out. If we've got a traitor on our hands, Ah wanna know who the son of a null is!" 

The room was eerily silent for a heartbeat. "It was your daughter, Sir." 

End Part Ten 

Continue...

Back


	11. 11

Time scale:  
nanosecond=second  
microsecond=minute  
millisecond=hour  
cycle=day  
second=week  
minute=month  
hour=year

"That's not possible." 

"I'm afraid so, Sir. A secondary scan of the system confirmed that Perl is no longer in the system." Another sprite appeared in the doorway, and the two conversed for a moment before the first sprite turned back. "They just checked the room she was staying in. She left this behind." He placed Perl's keytool in Victor's hands. "I'm sorry." With a curt nod to the others, he left the room. 

"This doesn't make any sense," Vic said, staring down at Lotus. "Why would she do this?" 

"Ah don't rightly know, sugah. Doesn't seem t' be any sense behind it," Mouse replied quietly. 

"I can't believe she'd do something like this. Maybe there's something we missed. I mean, if she was planning to betray us to Daemon, why leave her keytool behind?" AndrAIa asked. 

Matrix shook his head. "They're right. She was with us the entire time, anyway, and Turing didn't even know about Daemon until Mouse and Ray told them. Perl wouldn't side with a virus." 

"Ah'll have t' take yoah word for it," Victor said bleakly. "Ah'm afraid Ah hardly know her anymore." 

"Still doesn't answer the question," Ray broke in. "If she didn't go t' warn Daemon, what *was* she doin'?" 

"I think I know." All eyes turned to Bob, who'd been silent throughout the exchange. "When we arrived at Turing, there were Guardians trying to get to the system. Daemon wanted Perl's hacking skills. If she lets herself be captured..." 

"Daemon will be distracted with organizin' attacks on the rebel systems," Victor mused. 

"Leaving us to slip in the back way," Matrix added. "it might work." 

"But we'll have to move quickly," Bob interjected. "If we wait too long, Daemon could uncover our plans and be waiting." 

"Ah'll get right on the icon problem," Mouse piped up, hopping down from the console she'd been perched on. She grabbed Matrix's wrist as she passed. "C'mon, sugah, Ah need that icon o' yours." 

Victor shook his head as the two exited. "Ah'll never be sure how mah brother put up with that woman..." 

Ray arched an eyebrow. "Am I missin' something here, mate?" 

Victor started to reply, then saw AndrAIa grimace and shake her head sharply. "Nah," he recovered quickly. "just that Mouse an' mah brother go aways back. Right Bob?" 

"Uhh--right. You should ask her about it some time." 

AndrAIa winced again. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't Ray and I go scout a good place to assemble all our equipment and forces for transport? We'd just be in the way of your planning anyway." 

"That's a good idea, " Bob agreed readily. 

AndrAIa turned to the surfr. "Shall we?" 

"Lead the way, lovely lady." 

---- 

"So, you gonna explain that little scene back there?" Ray asked once the pair were high above the city. 

"Mouse and Turbo have some history. I think she was waiting for the right time to bring it up. I guess you should probably ask her. Victor didn't know." 

Ray gave her a long glance, then nodded. "Fair enough," he said, maneuvering the board into a long, low sweep. "Think that'll do?" He asked, pointing towards a long strip of green space bordering the energy sea. 

"Looks perfect. Let's head back and tell the others." 

---- 

"Ah can't do it." 

"What?" 

"You heard me. Ah got Matrix's icon fixed so that it's locked in gamesprite mode, but Ah can't hack yours." She handed the icon back to the blue-skinned Guardian. 

"How is that possible?" Matrix asked, glancing at his own--now triangular--icon. "It's the same protocol." 

"Not anymore it ain't," the hacker said, standing from her workstation. "Near as Ah can figure, the merger with Glitch changed it somehow. It's encrypted, and there's no way Ah can crack it in the time we got left." 

"Then you'll have to stay here," Matrix said, looking over at Bob. 

"No way. I'm not letting you guys face Daemon alone." 

"Bob," Matrix said seriously, resting a hand on the Guardian's shoulder. "She'll be able to infect you. This is my--our life," he said, casting a glance at AndrAIa, who was watching from across the room. "But you've got Mainframe to get back to. Dot's waiting for you. I can't--" 

"Dot knew what she was doing when she sent me, Enzo," he replied gently but firmly. "And I owe it to her to make sure we *all* get home safe. It's a risk we'll just have to take." He glanced over at Victor. "How are things going?" 

"Well as can be expected. Mah people are assemblin' our equipment now. We should be able t' leave by next cycle." 

"Good. Let's hope Perl's diversion works then. We're walking in blind." 

----- 

Victor watched as the sprites filed out of the room, varying degrees of concern showing on their faces. He waited until Matrix passed, then called out to him. "Son, could I have a word with ya?" 

The younger sprite turned, giving him a puzzled look. "Sure." 

"I'll meet up with you later," AndrAIa said, and took her leave of the pair. 

"What's up?" Matrix asked once she'd gone, unsure what the rebel leader would want to talk to him about. 

"I want you ta take Perl's keytool. Ah'm no Guardian; it's not gonna be any use to me, and Ah know she wouldn't leave Lotus behind without good reason." He pressed the box into the young man's hand. 

He blinked down at it for a moment. "Victor...I'm honored, but keytools won't work for just any Guardian. I'm not sure I could even command it." 

"Look, mah daughter obviously trusted you. Ah'm sure that's good enough for Lotus." As if to confirm his words, the keytool beeped and chirped several times. "Take good care of her for Perl, would ya?" 

Matrix nodded. "I will." He placed the keytool on his belt and turned to go, then thought better of it, and looked back at Victor. "Perl's a good sprite, Victor. We had our differences but--" 

The elder sprite nodded. "Ah appreciate it." 

After a pause, Matrix turned and left the room. 

---- 

"Any reply to our message?" 

"No, Ma'am." Specks looked over his display. "I'm afraid some of the messages bounced. It looks like those systems went off-line sometime in the past few milliseconds." 

Dot read over the information. "Those are the systems Turbo said hackers were protecting. This is not good." 

Specks adjusted his glasses and looked up at the Command.Com. "There are still three systems we haven't heard from." 

Dot closed her eyes and sighed. "Let's hope they're out there, then." She turned away, in time to see Phong enter the room. 

"You look concerned, my child. What is the news?" 

"Not very good, I'm afraid," she replied. "The message has been bouncing from systems hackers were protecting. It looks as if Daemon has found away past them." She handed him a datafile. 

"She is tightening her grip on the net," the old sprite replied. "Oh, dear...with the hackers defeated, she has control of most of the systems." 

"What bothers me the most is that we don't know what she wants. There's been no message, no ultimatum... she just moves in, takes control of the system, then silence. From the information Turbo gave us, it looks as if most of the rebels don't even know she *exists.*" 

"It is a clever disguise. She uses the Guardians for protection." 

"No one wants to fight against them," she mused. "It makes sense. But what will she do if she gains total control? What then?" 

"Use only knows." 

Dot frowned. "I think I'd rather face Megabyte again. At least we knew what *he* wanted." 

"I fear Daemon represents an evil much greater than that of Megabyte. Our only hope is that Bob and the others stop her in time." 

---- 

"What's goin' on?" Turbo stared down at a map of the net, watching as one by one, systems which had previously repelled Daemon's control fell. 

"Apparently, your niece is as good as her reputation claims," Elsha replied dryly. 

"Ah just don't understand it. By all accounts, she was hold up in a system without functioning ports. What in the net could have possessed her t' just hand herself over?" 

"Whatever it was, it's given Daemon exactly what she needed. There are only a few free systems left. She's making her final push for total control." She paused, glancing up at the Prime Guardian. "Charlie?" 

"It's a diversion." 

"What?" 

"Perl. She's a diversion. Somehow, she musta hooked up with a rebel faction...maybe even Bob and his crew. She let's Daemon capture her..." 

"And the rebels strike while her attention is drawn away. But that's insane!" 

"Which is why it might just work. How long do ya think we'd be able t' off-line perimeter security before she noticed?" 

"I--I'm not sure. You think they'll come *here?*" 

"Call it a hunch. See what you can do here. Ah'm gonna go see if Ah can't help things along." He turned and strode quickly out of the room. 

Turning back to her station, Elsha brought up a vid-window. "Alert Daemon," she said to the sprite on the screen. "The rebels are on their way here." 

---- 

"What are you doing all the way out here? We *should* be getting some down time." 

"How are we supposed to sleep? In a few milliseconds, we'll be attacking the Super Computer." Matrix turned from looking over the meager armaments they'd assembled. "I don't know if we can win this one, AndrAIa." 

The gamesprite smiled slightly. "Of course we will. Just like we beat the games and Megabyte. Have a little faith, Sparky." 

He shook his head, pulling her closer and sliding an arm around her waist. "I don't know how you can be so optimistic," he said. 

"Guess it's in my code," she replied. "Besides, brooding over it isn't going to change anything, so why worry?" She shrugged. After a pause, she added, "It's okay to be scared, you know. I am." 

"I don't want to lose you," he said quietly, brushing the side of her face with his hand lightly. 

"You won't. We'll survive this, Enzo, and then we'll go home." She kissed him lightly. "Let's go back to the Principle Office. We've still got a few milliseconds before we're supposed to meet up with the others." She pulled away, slipping her hand in his, and together they started walking back through the darkened city. 

"Looks like we're not the only ones awake," Matrix commented as they neared the front steps of the P.O. 

"Hey Bob," AndrAIa called. 

"What were you two doing?" The Guardian asked as they took a seat beside him on the steps. 

"Looking over the equipment Script's crew put together. It's not much." 

"I know," Bob replied. "But we obviously can't take the Mare. It'll have to do." 

"What's this, a picnic?" A familiar voice drawled from behind then. The trio turned to see Mouse and Ray standing at the main entrance. 

"Doesn't *anyone* sleep around here?" Bob asked. 

"Apparently not," Matrix replied. 

"We're not crashin' a party, are we?" Ray asked. 

"Of course not." AndrAIa slid closer to Matrix to make room for the pair on the steps. 

"Well, sure beats pacin' 'round indoors," Mouse commented, leaning back on her arms. "Aw, why all the long faces? In a few milliseconds, we're gonna go whup Daemon's behind," she grinned. 

AndrAIa laughed, and playfully punched Matrix in the arm. "See? I'm right. Cheer up." 

Matrix glanced from AndrAIa, to Mouse, then back again. "You two are completely random." 

"They are right, you know," Bob spoke up. "We might as well enjoy ourselves while we can. Who knows when the next time we're together like this will be." 

"Well, that settles it then. So why don't we all just sit back and relax?" 

There were nods of agreement, and the five sprites all settled in to wait for the sunrise. 

---- 

"You thought you could betray me." 

Turbo made a strangled noise as tendrils constricted around him painfully. His heart was heavy, knowing that everything he had worked for was destroyed. The Guardians had hauled him before Daemon not long after his meeting with Elsha, and he cursed himself inwardly for not realizing his friend had succumbed to the infection at last. 

"Your resistance amuses me." Daemon's eyes narrowed. "Did you truly think you could defeat me?" She hissed, and the tendrils drew him closer. "Did you really think you could win?" 

He gritted his teeth and said nothing, taking in, instead, the changes in the viral woman before him. She seemed rooted in place, the long thin viral tendrils winding themselves around her body, all but obscuring her form from the shoulders down. Only her face seemed animate, and her voice has gone cold and hollow. Whatever had overtaken the sprite Daemon had once been seemed to be strengthening its grip on her, devouring her slowly, just as she devoured systems. The sight was at once horrific and strangely compelling, the free tendrils undulating and pulsing with her every word. 

"Answer me!" The virus roared, and he was yanked even closer, suspended mere inches away. 

"Y--you'll never win, Brenna," he choked out. 

"Liar," she hissed, and tossed the Guardian against a wall, where he lay motionless. "Have him stasis-locked," she said to the guards at the door to the room. "We can't allow him to interfere further." 

Silently, the two sprites complied, dragging the still form of the Prime Guardian from the room. 

---- 

"There _had_ t' be an easier way of gettin' hold of a tear for the portal," Mouse commented as she steered Ship in a long arc over the energy sea, nearing in on the tear that bobbed below them, sending out sporadic bursts of light. "Last time Ah tried this stunt, Ah was nearly deleted. Seems like that was hours ago now... before this mess started." Her expression turned unhappy, suddenly, causing Ray to arch an eyebrow at her. 

"Somethin' up, luv?" 

"Nah... well, just wonderin' how much of all o' this is mah fault." 

"Now you've got me confused," her companion replied. 

"It's a long story, sugah. Ah did a few things Ah probably shouldn't have, an' made life a whole lot more difficult for the Mainframers." She brought Ship to a halt above the tear. "We ain't got time for it now. Can you hold her steady while Ah take care of this?" 

"Sure thing." He took the controls, and frowned slightly as Mouse headed towards the cargo doors. For the first time, his lover's tight-lipped policy towards discussing what had happened before he'd arrived in Mainframe was starting to bother him. Something was going on, and he seemed to be the only one in the dark. Pushing away the thoughts, he concentrated on holding Ship in place while Mouse worked to contain the tear. 

---- 

"What's taking so long?" Matrix growled in frustration, pacing back in forth in front of one of the CPU tanks assembled in the park. Script's troops were milling about, talking amongst themselves in hushed voices as they all waited apprehensively for Mouse and Ray to return with the captured tear. 

"The energy sea is a big place, Sparky. Maybe they had trouble finding one." AndrAIa laughed a little. "Try not to be so impatient. They'll get back soon enough, and Daemon's not going anywhere." 

"I...just worry about her reaching Mainframe. We should have left someone behind to defend it." He glanced over to where Bob was talking with Victor. 

"I'm sure Dot can handle it. Besides, there's no evidence that Daemon's harmed any of the systems she's captured. Without Guardian protocols, she can't infect them, and barring everything else, Hex is still there." 

"Great. The fate of the system resting on the shoulders of a chaos virus," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Excuse me if I'm less than reassured." 

"Oh, come off it. She's not all that bad once you get to know her. She's actually pretty funny." 

"You've been talking to her? What--no, forget it I don't think I want to--" He was cut off as an anxious murmur rippled through crowd. A moment later, Ship appeared overhead, towing the contained tear behind it. "Guess it's show time." 

"Looks like." She put a hand on his arm. "Enzo...before we do this..." She paused, a lopsided smile on her face as she looked into his eyes. "I love you, so be careful, okay?" 

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, lacing his fingers through hers. "I love you too." 

At the center of the assembly, the pulsating tear transformed into a large, shimmering portal, the spires of the Super Computer reflecting from beyond it. 

"Well, here goes nothing." 

---- 

"Ma'am?" 

Dot jerked her head up off her desk and rubbed her eyes, putting her glasses back on. Specks was standing in the doorway of her office. "What's going on? Did something happen?" 

"We got a reply from the final system," he replied. The tone of his voice made her heart sink. 

"Did we find them?" 

"They were there," he confirmed. "But the message came in too late. We just missed them." 

"Missed..." She trailed off, thoughts warring with one another. 

"Ma'am... they never got the message. They've already left for the Super Computer." 

Continue...

Back


End file.
